Oatmeal Canister Bathroom Accessory

Its no secret that we all use toilet paper. Its also commonly known that most of us keep extra rolls of it in the bathroom. Just because were all aware of the toilet paper facts doesnt mean we want the extra rolls on display in the powder room. Many people store extra rolls under a cabinet, or in the bathroom closet, but you can easily make a canister that not only stores extra bathroom tissue but is a beautiful accessory as well.

A large oatmeal canister is all you need to make a lovely bathroom tissue container. The largest size will nicely hold two extra rolls of tissue. The type of oatmeal canister you need for this craft is the kind that has a lid which comes down over the sides of the canister itself. Remove the lid and youll be ready to get started. Choose the fabric that you want to use for the canister. Most any fabric is appropriate as long as it is thick enough - or dark enough - so that the oatmeal label doesnt shine through.

Decoupage adhesive is made for affixing fabric or paper to most any other object. Its found in craft stores and works perfectly for attaching fabrics of any sort to the oatmeal box. If you dont have this particular type of glue you can get by with ordinary white glue. Spread the glue all over the canister and wrap the fabric around it. The fabric should not be taken up all the way. Where the lid goes around the top of the canister, that area will be left as-is. When the lid is on the area will not be seen. Trim the fabric, in the back of the canister, if necessary. Use tape to hold the cloth in place until the glue is dry. Cut a round piece of fabric that will be attached to the top of the lid. Glue it in place and allow to dry completely. Choose a piece of wide ribbon to wrap around the sides of the lid. The ribbon can be tied into a bow or simply glued around the edge. Wrap ribbon, piping or other materials around the bottom to hide the raw edges of the fabric. Its not absolutely critical that you cover the oatmeal box in fabric. Decorative paper works just as well. The paper-covered canister can be embellished with glued-on plastic or wooden shapes, ribbon, fake jewels, rick-rack, lace, cloth ruffles and other craft supplies. You can create a theme for the canister, like fish or lighthouses, or you can just make it in a solid color that coordinates with your bathroom decor. Besides fabric or paper you can cover the canister in wallpaper scraps, adhesive shelf paper or even fake fur. As a matter of fact, you can even use an old plastic tablecloth or vinyl shower curtain to cover the canister. The plastic or vinyl covering means you can easily wipe the bathroom tissue canister clean. There are any number of things you can use to make a handle for the lid of the oatmeal canister. A drawer knob, shank button, bottle lid, jar lid, or even a certain type of bead could be used as a handle. Having a handle on the canister makes it much easier to open. If youd like the finished canister to be a little taller cover a second oatmeal canister in the same fabric or paper as the first one. This time, though, cover the canister and lid all with one piece. Glue this canister to the bottom of the first one. Glue ribbon to the bottom of this second canister to cover the raw edges. Do not put ribbon around the bottom of the first canister, as suggested above, but wrap one piece of ribbon around the area where both canisters are glued together. This arrangement makes the tissue holder much taller for easier access. Set the finished canister somewhere close to the commode for easy access to extra tissue. Its beautiful and handy at the same time. One of the decorative canisters, complete with bathroom tissue inside, makes a great housewarming gift. Its an inexpensive way to further decorate the bathroom while providing a way to beautiful way to hide the extra toilet paper.

Cheap and Easy Chicken Soup or Chicken and Dumplings

Have you seen the prices on soups lately? OMG! Who can afford it? And thats just the ordinary soups. If you want specialty soups you can double those prices! Forget all that! Make your own soups and similar foods and youll save money, for sure. In addition, your foods will taste so much better than that canned stuff, and the batches you make will be much larger than those tiny cans.

Anytime youre making something that calls for boiled chicken youre in for a treat. The chicken has to be boiled until tender then the broth must be drained. The bones and skin have to be removed, the chicken put back in the broth, and all of it heated up again. Its a lot of trouble for some; no bother for others. If youre going to make the best and cheapest chicken soup or chicken and dumplings youll want to boil your own chicken and go through the steps to debone and skin it.

There is a shortcut so that you wont have to boil the chicken yourself but it will be much more expensive and provide smaller pieces of meat. This method requires purchasing cans of chicken which are sold in the tuna section of your grocery store. This canned chicken will keep you from having to do all the work to get the meat from a boiled chicken. When you boil your own chicken you then have a nice pan full of chicken broth. Purchasing chicken in cans means youll have to also purchase canned chicken broth. Sometimes you can find large cans of chicken broth which contain a whole, deboned chicken. If you boil your own chicken its much tastier if you add a little bit of poultry seasoning. If you use seasoned chicken broth from a can you can skip that step. After your broth is prepared and your meat is in it you can then begin making either chicken soup or chicken and dumplings. You can add finely chopped carrots, celery and other things to your soup if you want. To make chicken soup you have a number of options. Some people prefer flat egg noodles in their soup but there are other choices. One selection you can make is spaghetti noodles. Break the noodles into small pieces and place them in the broth. Its up to you how long or how tiny the noodle pieces are. Bring the soup to a boil until the noodles are soft. Chicken and dumplings is a favorite in the south and other areas of the country. Although many people who make the dish use flour, eggs and shortening to make homemade dumplings there is a much easier and cheaper way. Canned biscuits provide everything you need to make delicious dumplings. Dont purchase fancy frozen biscuits, or even cans labeled "rolls". Ordinary, cheap roll biscuits are perfect. Take the first biscuit from the can and begin tearing off pieces of it and drop them in the boiling broth. If you will add carrots, celery or other items to the mix do so before adding the dumplings. You can make the dumplings as large or as small as you want. Keep in mind that the dumplings will swell and also remember that, the larger the dumplings, the more doughy they will be on the inside. Both of the above recipes will render a delicious but soupy recipe. For those who like chicken and dumplings or chicken noodle soup to be much thicker combine a third cup of cornstarch with a quarter-cup of water. Stir until no longer lumpy. Slowly add the cornstarch to the broth or soup. If this is still not thick enough, mix the cornstarch and water again, then slowly add a little more until it is the consistency you desire. After serving, leftover chicken noodle soup or chicken and dumplings can be stored in the fridge or frozen for future use. You and your family will love your homemade soup or dumplings and youll definitely prefer it over the canned products. Some things cost more money to make homemade than to purchase from the store but thats not the case with these recipes. Theyre inexpensive, time-consuming but easy, and very delicious.

Repair the Tear: Three Ways to Fix a Torn Sheet

Take it from me its not a good idea to use your bed as a cutting table! I sometimes sit on my bed while playing around with small craft and decor projects, and recently, I made the mistake of cutting some fabric while doing just that. Was I ever horrified when I realized that, while cutting out the pattern, I had nipped the sheet with the shears! My favorite set of sheets was ruined! It seemed a shame to throw them out when the cut was so small. As a matter of fact, I simply couldnt bear the thought of throwing away the nearly new sheets. Instead, I decided to repair the tear.

If you are a person who loves crafts you may already have a bottle of fabric glue lying around. The glue can also be found at your local craft supply store. Since different kinds of fabric adhesives will be available there read the label to make sure the glue you choose will hold up through laundering. The glue is not expensive, and after youve repaired the sheet, you can use it to mend hems and do other odd fabric fix-its around the house.

To use the fabric glue on the sheets youll first need to cut a piece of cloth slightly larger than the actual tear. The cloth you choose is important. Ideally, bed sheet material is the choice, but if you dont have sheet material use a scrap of something lightweight. The piece should also be similar in color to the ripped sheets. Although you can probably use solid colors to patch striped or pattern sheets dont do the reverse. For example, dont pick striped or patterned fabric swatches to patch white or other light-colored solids. Apply fabric glue to the right side of the fabric swatch. Affix it to the underside of the sheet, completely covering the tear. Smooth the swatch and wipe away any oozing adhesive. Allow the patch to set for the recommended amount of time according to the adhesive instructions. After it has set launder it as usual. The glue holds well but, if applied to certain areas of the sheet, could be bothersome. The dried glue has a slightly stiff feeling. If you sew, and have a machine, use it to repair the torn sheet. Position the tear in front of the presser foot and set the dial for a zig-zag stitch. The stitch should be wide and close together. Keep the presser foot aligned with the tear itself and allow the zig-zag to catch each side of the rip. After stitching the entire tear, turn the sheet around, and stitch over the original zig-zag stitch. Zig-zag at least twice across the rip. To ensure that the zig-zag stitch will hold its a good idea to cut a piece of fabric that will be attached to the backside of the sheet. Pin the fabric scrap to the back of the rip. Zig-zag down the tear, turn around, and zig-zag back across the rip. Back-tack and trim away the excess thread. Turn the sheet over and trim around the fabric patch. When patching the tear use lightweight thread to prevent bulkiness. At stores that sell sewing supplies there is a product called fusible webbing. The webbing is actually a piece of cloth-type material that can easily be affixed to most any fabric. Cut a piece of the webbing a little larger than the length and width of the tear. Position it over the rip and iron. The webbing, when heated, attaches itself to the fabric. Since there is no glue or stitches the sheet feels - and looks - almost as good as new. Read the instructions on the fusing product you purchase so youll know how hot to have the iron and other important information. Be sure the type of sheets you have are fusible by checking the product package. After fusing the webbing to the sheets you can launder them as normal. If youve ever accidentally put a tear in a favorite sheet dont throw it in the trash or cut it up for crafts! You can easily repair it and use the sheets for years to come. Choose the method thats best for you and youll still love your favorite set of sheets!

Fun Easter Bunny You can Make from a Glove

By the time Easter rolls around each year winter is basically over and done. So, you wont be needing those one-size-fits-all stretch gloves, right? Why not take one of them - a white one - and use it to create a cute Easter bunny for a child or to set out in your own house. Youll have fun making the bunny which is easy and unique.

Use a white, stretchy glove to make the bunny. To begin, turn the glove inside-out, and stitch the fingers shut. Sew the pinky finger, index finger and thumb completely closed. Leave the middle finger and ring finger as-is. If you dont sew use fabric glue to close the fingers. When using fabric glue youll have to apply the glue to the right side of the glove. Leave the glove right-side out and push all but the two middle fingers down into the glove. Apply glue to the finger and thumb stubs and place clothes pins on the areas until the glue is dry. After youve sewn or stitched the glove fingers closed cut the fingers off. The two fingers left will become the bunnys ears.

Use poly-fil, cotton or even cotton balls to stuff the fingers. Theres no need to over-stuff them but they should be stuffed enough so that they stand up straight. Use a Styrofoam egg, or something similar, to stuff the hand of the glove. If using an egg insert it with the smaller side upwards. A four-inch egg works perfectly. Pull the glove over the egg and fold the cuff up once. The folded cuff of the glove should reach the bottom of the egg. Cut a 5" circle from white cardboard. Apply glue to the folded area of the cuff. Position the cardboard circle over the opening of the glove. Allow glue to dry well then trim away excess cardboard. Instead of a cardboard circle you can use a large white lid, like from a mayonnaise jar. Apply the glue to the inside of the lid then position the opening of the glove down into the lid. The lid you use should not be very deep and should be the exact size of the opening of the glove. Make a face for the bunny by gluing on wiggly eyes or small black beads. You could also draw on the eyes or use tiny black pom-poms for eyes. A small, pink pom-pom works great as a nose. Make the muzzle by using two white poms. The white ones should be slightly larger than the pink one. Cut short pieces of stiff thread to make the whiskers. Glue three of them onto each side of the nose, just below the nose. Glue the white pom-poms just under the pink nose. Leave a small gap between the two white pom-poms but make sure they cover the ends of the whiskers. Tie two or three different, colorful ribbons together in a bow. The ribbons should be narrow and tied all together. Glue the bow arrangement just under the white pom-poms. Trim the ribbons so they hang slightly above the cuff of the glove. Glue two white pom-poms on the base, on the front of the lid or glove cuff. The pom-poms form the feet of the bunny. Glue tiny flowers, leaves, beads or even bows in front of, or between, the ears. Group a small arrangement between the ears or create an entire bonnet with the flowers. Or, just leave the ears plain if you want your bunny to have a less feminine look. Craft stores carry a large selection of miniatures, like ball caps, that are perfect for creating a male bunny from a glove. Make a different bunny by using a plastic egg inside the glove. The plastic egg can first be filled with candies or other goodies. Instead of gluing a base to the folded cuff use velcro to close the wrist area of the unfolded cuff. Place the bunny in a childs Easter basket and he or she can then retrieve the egg and the treats. Kids and adults alike will love the cute Easter bunny. Ones on a base are great for setting on a table, mantle or shelf. Ones with the velcro closure are perfect for kids - in or out of baskets. Since gloves come in pairs why not make two different bunnies? Theyre fun, easy and very unique.

Colorful Spinner for Your Garden

As a crafter you probably try to recycle as many things as you can, rather than throw them in the trash, but when it comes to something like pop bottles it can be challenging to find something new to make out of each and every one. To help use up some of those empty bottles why not make garden spinners that are colorful and unique? The spinners are cheap, easy to make, and will add a splash of color and interest to any area of your yard.

Remove the label from a two-liter bottle. Make sure the inside as been rinsed out and is dry. Lay the bottle on a wadded towel to help keep it from rolling around while youre creating the spinner design. Use colored plastic tape to decorate the bottle. The tape, usually electrical tape, is available in many colors. Youll often find a pack with assorted colors at a dollar-theme store. Youll also find many different tapes at a home improvement store. Choose the different colors you want and get started decorating the bottle.

Start at the area where the bottle top extends down to the bottle itself. Wrap one piece of tape around this area of the bottle. Just below that strip add another strip, in a different color. Continue adding another piece, and another, until the bottle is covered with tape. The very bottom and very top of the bottle are left as-is and will not be wrapped in the tape. There are many different designs you can create using different tapes. Make a wide stripe across the top, by using two strips of the same color, then make a thin stripe by using one strip in a different color than the wide stripe. Continue making one wide, then one narrow stripe, or create even more designs. The pattern you decide on is your own choice. Use two colors, three colors or even more. Use a tape measure to mark vertical lines, from top tape to bottom tape, every three-quarters inches. Use a knife to cut these slits into the bottle. Push the bottle down hard and the cut strips will push outwards. Bend each strip in the center to give shape to the spinner. Its important that each strip be bent in the same area. Now go around the top of the bottle and create new folds. At the top of each strip fold it, at a 45 degree angle, to the right. Go around the bottle and make this fold on each strip. Now to the bottom of the bottle and do the same thing, but the opposite direction. Fold each strip at a 45 degree angle to the left. Making these left and right bends in the plastic will ensure that the wind catches the bottle and really spins it. Cut a length of fishing twine and fold it in half. Poke a hole in the center of the soda bottle cap and push the ends of the twine through it, from top to bottom. The easiest way to do this is to hold a nail in a pair of pliers, using a potholder. Heat the nail then quickly push it through the top of the cap. Under the cap use a dot of glue to hold the twine in place. Instead of this method you can purchase a ball bearing spinner at a fishing supply store and attach it. Thread a piece of wire through the hole in the spinner, twist the wire and push the ends through the cap, then spread the wires to hold the ends in place on the underside of the cap. After the wire or twine is connected to the bottle its ready to hang. You can further embellish it, though, by cutting shapes from the tape and sticking them around the top and bottom of the bottle. The shapes can be of butterflies or just geometric shapes. Another choice is plastic-coasted stickers. Position them on the bottle top and bottom and create themes of grass and flowers, pebbles and shells, or other combinations. Hang the spinner on a tree limb or other area in the yard or garden. When the wind catches the side slats of the bottle it will spin. When the wind blows hard the bottle will spend rapidly causing a whirlwind of color. Theyre beautiful, very unique and really cheap to make.

Easy Jelly Bean Bunnies for Easter Baskets

Kids look forward to those special treats from the Easter bunny, but when moneys tight, it can be difficult to put together an impressive basket. There are some things, though, which you can make yourself that will grab the attention of any child on Easter morning. One such thing is a jelly bean bunny that costs mere pennies to make yet will stand out in the basket.

A small bag of jelly beans is what you need to start this craft. The jelly beans can be wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in a tiny zipper-lock bag. Youll find the tiny bags at a craft store and some department stores. The jelly bean bag will become the body of the cute little basket bunny.

Use craft foam to create the rest of the Easter bunny. Craft foam is very thin, comes in many different colors, and is very inexpensive. Find it where felt and similar items are sold. The Fun Foam will make it easy for you to make ears, feet and more. Draw the other pieces freehand or use stencils to make the bunny ears and such. Cut two large, flat bunny feet and glue the bag on the heels of the feet. The feet should protrude outward, in front of the bag, at the bottom. Hot glue or spray adhesives work great for attaching the feet to the bag. Use a black pen or fine tip marker to draw lines to represent each claw. Next, cut two front paws and glue them to the sides of the bag. Cut small circles to represent the pads on the paws. The circles should be cut from pink foam and glued onto the white paws. Cut a circle for a head and glue it to the front, top area of the jelly bean bag. Glue on wiggly eyes or use two small, black pom-poms for the eyes. A small, pink pom-pom can be glued on for a nose. Cut small strips of black foam for whiskers and glue them in place. Now you can embellish as you wish. Make a "Happy Easter" sign for the bunny to hold by using a piece of decorative paper and a pen. Or, glue flowers around the top of the Fun Foam head to make a floral bonnet. There are many different ways to embellish the Easter basket bunny. Create a way to attach the bunny to the basket by gluing a narrow strip of Fun Foam on the back of the jelly bean bag. Stick a velcro dot on each end of the strip so you can secure it. Simply wrap the strip around the handle and use the velcro to fasten it. If youd like the bunny to have a more rounded look use a Styrofoam ball for the head and the Fun Foam to make the paws and ears. Make the ears bendable by first cutting two white ears then two pink ears. The pink ears should be somewhat smaller than the white ones. Glue the pink ears to the white ears, trapping a piece of craft wire between the two colors. The white will be the actual ears and the pink will represent the inner ear of the bunny. Create the face using wiggly eyes and pom-poms. The jelly bean bag can actually contain any number of goodies besides jelly beans. Fill the bag with coins, mints, jewelry, or even a kit. Kits to make costume jewelry, or kits to make something else, can be substituted for the jelly bean bag. Make something similar as a centerpiece by using a very large, clear plastic egg. This egg will become the body of the bunny and youll create the rest of the rabbit from various craft supplies mentioned above. The centerpiece can be attached to a small, upside-down plate or another base. Its easy to create and fun to display. This year, make some of the things in your childrens baskets. Youll save money, have a great time creating, and enjoy the reaction you get from your child. The basket bunnies are very inexpensive to make so do several different ones!Make a cute Easter basket bunny by starting with a small bag of jelly beans.Cut head, paw and ear shapes from Fun Foam and glue them to the jelly bean bag.The bag can contain other things instead of jelly beans, like coins or mints.Purchase small bags here: www.orientaltrading.com

Tips on Covering Wood Paneling with Fabric

Back when paneled walls were all the rage many homes were built and loaded with wood paneling. It might have looked great way back then, but now, your walls might need make overs. How do you make over paneling? Paint? Of course not! Use fabric to cover those boring walls and youll instantly create a look of luxury.

It doesnt cost a lot of money to cover a wall in fabric. Check fabric outlet stores for great deals on cloth but choose your selection carefully. Fabrics that stretch are not good choices. Thick cloth, like denim or corduroy, should also be avoided. Although lightweight cloth will work best on your paneled walls cloth that easily unravels is not a good choice. Likewise, if you are covering walls painted with a dark color you could have trouble concealing the paint with light colored cloth.

Pre-shrink any cloth selection before applying it to the walls. Prepare the walls by first covering any grooves in the paneling. Masking tape works well but you can also take the time and trouble to fill the grooves in with putty. When the grooves are filled or covered its time to hang the fabric. Carefully cut the cloth for the chosen wall. Cut around windows, doorways and light switches. After you are certain that the cloth is cut to exactly fit the wall its time to prepare the "glue". You wont really use glue to hang the fabric. Instead, dip the fabric in liquid starch then place it on the wall. Youll likely need an assistant to hang the fabric. Slightly squeeze out the excess fluid then position the cloth at the top of the wall. Dont wring the cloth since its necessary to have a lot of starch on the fabric for it to stick to the wall. Use a straight edge, like a ruler or even a credit card, to smooth the wrinkles out of the fabric. Its a good idea to put towels on the floor while youre hanging the fabric. The starch tends to drip and the towels will absorb it. Wipe baseboards dry as you move along with the project to keep the starch from drying on them. Its much easier to dry the baseboards throughout the project, than to wait until it dries, and try to scrub it off the wood. The starch should be prepared according to the package instructions or you can purchase liquid starch thats ready to go. Fabric doesnt have to soak in the starch; just dip it and hang it. The starch causes the fabric to cling to the wall. Fabric will dry quicker if you place fans in the room or turn on the heat. The cloth can hang for years on the walls. You can wipe away smudges or cobwebs with a damp cloth. When youre ready to change the fabric, or launder it, simply peel it off the wall. When youre ready, go to the corner of the fabric and pick at it with your nail or an implement. When the cloth pulls away from the corner just grab hold of it and peel it off the wall. You can now launder it and re-hang it the way you did originally. This time, however, the cloth is already cut to size. You can find inexpensive cloth at retailers that sell sewing supplies but most of these fabrics will be 36" to 45" wide. Find an outlet or an upholstery shop, from which to purchase cloth, and youll find widths of 54" and wider. The wider fabrics will make it easier to cover large walls. Keep in mind that upholstery fabric can often be heavier than ordinary cloths, and can be more expensive as well. Check discount fabrics for flaws before purchasing. Outlets can sometimes sell fabrics which have been woven wrong or have obvious flaws in the cloth. Patterned fabrics are fine but can often require extra yardage to align the patterns on the walls. Measure the length and width of the intended walls before purchasing fabric. Check the width of the fabrics youre browsing to make sure you have enough to cover the wall. Youll enjoy the finished creation which can change the entire look of the room with just one upholstered wall.

How to Make a Floating Raft for Dolls and Toys

Whether youre racing your toys in a stream by the street gutter, or youre sending them downstream in a creek, youll need a dependable raft. Without a well-built raft you could end up losing or ruining your favorite toys. Most people think of making rafts out of wooden pieces but theres a different design thats so much better. Use soda bottles to make a raft that not only floats well but is easy to assemble.

Youll need a collection of 20 oz soda or water bottles to make the raft. The bottles must be all the same size and shape. Youll be the one who decides how long, and how wide, to make the actual raft. Decide this by lining the bottles up in a row. When youve got enough bottles to create the desired width youll use a similar technique to decide on the length of the raft.

Begin making additional rows of bottles, under the first row, until you have enough rows to make the length you desire. Once youve got all the bottles aligned its time to make the shape permanent. There are several different ways to do so. Use tape, glue dots and other handy items to connect the bottles. If youre using double-sided tape, cut a long strip, place it down the side of one bottle, then push a second bottle next to the first. Firmly push the two bottles together without collapsing them. Continue this method until the width of the raft is completed. Keep the lids tightly screwed to the bottles at all times. Instead of glue strips you can use glue dots. The dots are found at any craft store and are not expensive. Pull several dots off the sheet, position them down the side of the first bottle, then continue this technique until the width of the float is complete. After youve finished one row, do another, and another row until you have the amount of rows needed to complete the length of the raft. To attach the rows of bottles together, lay the first row on a flat surface with lids facing away from you and bottle bottoms facing towards you. Now lay the second row beneath the first, so that the lids of the second row align with the bottoms of the first row. Use glue dots or strips to hold the lids of the second row to the bottoms of the first row. Continue in this manner until all rows are connected. Glue dots arent all that stable but they hold the bottles together temporarily. Now youll need to use tape to further strengthen the bottle raft. Choose wide, clear tape to wrap around the bottles. Start on the side of the raft, at the top area, and wrap the tape around the entire row of bottles. Start on the side again, slightly lower than the first wrap, and wrap the next row of bottles. Each wrap, except for the first one, should be halfway on one row and halfway on the row below it. After youve completely wrapped the raft you can then make the top of the raft. Although the raft will float as-is, and can hold any number of toys or dolls, it looks more finished, and will have a less lumpy top, if you add a layer of foam or something similar. Cut a piece of craft foam and use it as the top of the raft. Spray adhesive works best but even ordinary white glue can be used to attach the raft top. Instead of foam you can also use a thin slab of wood. As long as the lids are tightly on the bottles the raft will be strong enough to hold the wood. Other options include fastening a toy couch or chair to the raft. This is only helpful if youre floating dolls. If youll be transporting equipment, like vehicles or tools, you can do without the floating furniture. Building a plastic bottle raft or float is easy and fun, and best of all, itll hold up for years! Since its so lightweight it will fly down the river or creek. You wont believe how fast the little raft will move and how quickly you can get your toy people and trucks to their destination downstream. Get busy working on your toy raft. Its looking like rain...

Cheap but Beautiful Easter Basket Made from String

On a tight budget? Just want to create a new and different kind of basket this Easter? Well, prepare to spend pennies on a fabulous basket that will thrill any child or adult. Theyll never know you made it yourself, and best of all, its so much fun to create! Although this is a very messy craft - so maybe not appropriate for young kids - the designer will truly enjoy making a one-of-a-kind basket that the recipient will treasure for years to come.

Decide how large or small you want the basket to be then choose a round balloon which is comparable in size. Blow up the balloon, tie a knot in it, and set it aside for a few minutes. Youll be using crochet string to wrap the balloon. Crochet string can be found at most places that sell sewing supplies. The string is available in many beautiful colors and is very inexpensive. One ball of string will make several baskets.

Old techniques for creating the balloon baskets involve covering the string with dripping glue and attempting to wrap it around the balloon. Having the string sliding off the balloon as you tried to wrap it around wasnt too much fun. Eventually you would get the balloon wrapped, but not in the design you wanted, since your ultimate goal became trying to keep the string on the balloon. The old technique can still be used to create the string basket, but this time, do something different with the glue! Fill the bag with yards of string. Squirt in ordinary white glue but add fabric stiffener to it. The stiffener product can be found at stores that sell sewing supplies. If you have no fabric stiffener you can achieve the same effect by squirting in some wood glue. Wood glue is very stiff and will help the string attach to the balloon. If need be, add a few drops of water to the wood glue, then work it inside the bag until the string is completely covered. Begin wrapping the string around the balloon in no particular pattern. As you pull lengths of string out from the bag squeeze excess glue off of it by squeezing it gently while you pull the string through your finger and thumb. Wrap around and around until the string begins to take the shape of the balloon. When completely finished there should be some gaps between the string; the balloon basket should not be solid. These gaps are necessary not only to reach in and pop the balloon with a needle, but to ultimately create the lacy look of the basket. Make the craft much simpler - albeit still messy - by using spray adhesives instead. Plan to get lots of the adhesive on your hands but it can later be removed with nail polish remover. Spray an area of the balloon and position the string across the area. Spray another area and wrap the string in that direction. Do not lay the balloon down unless its on thick plastic as the balloon will stick to most any surface. Continue spraying and wrapping until youve nearly covered the balloon completely. Again, there should be slivers of balloon showing through the string. When the adhesive is dry to the touch take a needle or pin and pop the balloon. You can retrieve it later. Now youll take scissors or a craft knife and cut an opening in the string. Set the string basket on a flat surface and cut a circle or oval shape at the top. This will become the opening of the basket. Now you can tie a satin ribbon on or even hook a purse strap to it. The string is stiff and will hold quite a lot of weight. Line the basket with Easter grass and fill with goodies. Its easy to make the initial basket then use spray paint to paint it any color you wish. Adorn the basket by gluing on a flat, wooden bunny shape, flat ceramic eggs or similar embellishments. Youll find many Easter trinkets at any craft store. The string basket is cheap, sure, but does that really matter? Since its so beautiful, and so unique, no one really needs to know the cheap part, right?

Fun Wedding Memory Net

One thing most married couples, or soon-to-be married couples, have are photos. Tons of photos. Pictures of themselves as children, pictures of themselves as they dated, then pictures of the actual wedding. Besides photos there are many other things relative to the wedding: couple including invitations, thank-you notes, flowers and much more. Make a unique wedding net to hang in your home and you can display all your favorite wedding things. Or, make the net for friends who are getting married.

White netting, the kind used for a veil, is perfect. You can also use rope netting for the project. Hang the netting in a certain area in the home, against a wall or across a corner. Smooth it completely out or let it drape. Hang it in the bedroom or even in the living room for all to see. There are many different ways to make the net and each will create a beautiful collection of wedding memories.

Use alligator clips or even miniature clothes pins to hang the memorabilia. Clothes pins and clips can be wired or glued to the netting or you can just clip a piece of the netting along with the photo or other piece. Place the items in a certain pattern or randomly hang them all over the net. Dont have any type of clip? Use double-sided tape to hang the photos and other items. Start the project by attaching the photos. Choose a couple pictures each, of the man and wife, as they were when they were children. Now hang photos of them as they were growing up. The photos can be mixed together or you can place them side-by-side, according to ages and other criteria. After the childhood photos are in place attach pictures of the couple as they were dating. Choose photos of them together at college, on spring break, or hanging out with friends. Incorporate photos of them after they were married. Photos of the couple on their honeymoon is another option for adding to the photo display. After all the photos are arranged on the net you can then start adding additional things. Clip on a copy of the wedding invitation, a thank-you note, some silk flowers that were used as decorations, and similar items. Ribbons, bows, lace pieces, fake jewels and sequin groupings can all be used to enhance the look of the finished display. What is a wedding theme without hearts? Purchase flat, wooden heart shapes at a craft store or check their wedding section for more hearts. Use double-sided tape to attach the flat shapes to the netting. Make metallic hearts by cutting them out of foil. Or, purchase sets of heart-shaped buttons and attach them to the net. The hearts should be randomly placed all over the net. Use various sizes to increase the interest in the design. Use wooden, cloth or even paper letters to spell out something across the top or bottom of the net. Write "Great Catch" or "Our Love" or even "Our Wedding". The message can be spelled out across the center of the net, with the memorabilia surrounding it, or the words can be positioned down the sides of the net. The final design and patterns are all yours. Instead of netting you can make the complete arrangement on a veil from a discount store, or just a piece of fabric. And, you dont necessarily have to make the arrangement all about a wedding. Make one for a new baby, a graduate or an elderly couples anniversary. Use rope netting, rather than veil material, for graduates and anniversaries. Create a theme for each of those occasions by using craft supplies, photos and memorabilia related to the subject. The memory nets are fabulous to display in your home but they also make unique gifts. Place everything needed in a box, then let the recipient set it up his or her own way, or make the net and gift wrap it, ready to hang. Either way, the net will get lots of attention, and makes a great conversation piece. Many years later, the net will become a treasured family heirloom.

Five Different Things You Can Make with a Coffee Cup

Why run out to the craft store every time you feel like getting creative? You probably have everything you need at home to make many different crafts and home decor projects. A coffee cup is the perfect example. Do you own a cup that has no mates? Then its the perfect candidate to become the next decor item in your home.

There are many different things you can make from a cup. If you sew, youll find that a coffee cup is the ideal pin cushion! Place a large wad of batting in the cup and glue it into place at the bottom. Dont glue the batting against the sides of the cup. Cut a piece of brown or black felt or fabric. Cut into a large circle which is slightly bigger than the circumference of the cup. Use hot glue to attach the fabric to the inside of the cup. Place the glue along the edges of the felt, and press the glued edge to the inside of the cup, over the batting. If you dont have any batting you can use a wad of paper towels, wadded fabric or even a chunk of foam.

When youre finished the cup will look like coffee or hot chocolate, depending upon the color of the felt or fabric you chose. You can also use white felt to represent milk. If you want, you can set the cup on a saucer, then store safety pins and other notions on the saucer. Stick your pins and needles into the felted batting which is now your pin cushion. You can make a nice candle holder with a coffee cup. Turn the cup upside-down then glue a saucer onto the cup. Place a squat pillar candle on the saucer and you have a unique candle carrier. Use the handle of the mug to transport the candle. You wont have to worry about wax dripping on you since the saucer will catch any melting wax. Give the candle arrangement a little more class by gluing gathered lace around the bottom of the upside-down cup, then gluing the saucer on. Cut a slit in the lace for easy access to the handle. The saucer will hide the edges of the lace and the overall look is much more elegant. A cup with a broken handle shouldnt be thrown out. If the handle broke off flush you can easily glue a small ceramic or other novelty onto the area of the missing handle. The cup can be upside down or right side up. Glue a saucer onto the cup, and set in the bathroom to hold soap, or in the bedroom to hold jewelry or coins. Instead of a saucer you can attach a small bowl to hold the items. Make serving trays for special occasions by starting with a cup thats turned upside down. Choose a nice plate and use double-sided tape to hold the plate to the cup. Make some of the serving trays with plates and others, using the same technique, with bowls. The great thing about this craft is you can easily remove the tape, when the event is over, then wash and dry the dishes as usual. Make a cute table creation by creating a flower garden in a coffee cup. Use silk flowers, leaves and vines to make the garden inside the cup. Allow some of the vines to come up out of the garden and over the rim of the cup. Glue some reeds in, here and there, and let them rise above the cup. The overall look should be that of a flower garden bursting out of its container. Glue a large craft butterfly over the handle, if you want, or just leave the handle showing. Either way the creation is a beautiful addition to any small table. The flower garden doesnt necessarily have to be for the breakfast or dinner table. Set one in the bathroom, one on a dresser or even in a kitchen window. There are lots of different things you can make from coffee cups and, since you already have the cup, youre half way done! Consider embellishments for your cup, like stickers, roping, foil cutouts, painted wooden shapes or other craft supplies. The best thing about these crafts is you can make them using only things from your home or go all out and make them extravagant. Get the kids; theyll have a great time helping.

Fun Bucket Bank Characters for Kids

Kids will want to save their money when they make a fun bucket bank character thats adorable and useful. The characters are made from any bucket or similarly-shaped item. Its not expensive to make the characters, and when youre finished with them, theyre actually banks that kids will love to display in their rooms. Theyre so easy to create that any child or adult can easily do this craft.

Dont run out and buy a new bucket to create the bank. Use something you already have in your home. Perhaps you have a plastic bucket leftover from a former Easter. Or, you might have a small, circular wooden or paper mache box with lid. Even a plastic drinking glass is suitable for this craft. Obviously, the bank character will be huge if you make it from a bucket; much smaller if you make it from a glass or paper mache box.

Start the craft by turning the bucket or glass upside-down onto a piece of flat craft foam. The color of the foam should be the color you want the characters hair to be. Draw around the bucket then cut out the circle. In the center of the circle cut a slit thats wide enough to pass a quarter through, but not much larger. Set aside the foam circle momentarily. If the bucket already has a design you might want to cover it. Use fabric or felt and glue it around the bucket. Or, purchase paints especially designed to cling to plastic, and spray paint the bucket. When dry you can then decorate it and turn it into a whimsical bucket character. Whether youve painted the bucket, or covered it with fabric, youll create the face for your particular character. There are any number of ways to make the face. Glue on wiggly craft eyes, or use foam circles for eyes. Draw a nose on with a magic marker then cut lips from red craft foam. You can create a different mouth by cutting a large circle and gluing it in place. The bucket character then looks like its mouth is wide open. Use a marker to give the person freckles. There are many different looks you can give the character simply by replacing certain craft supplies with other choices. Eyes can be made from felt or you can cut eyes from an image on cloth or paper. Glue the eyes onto the bucket. Noses can be made from felt, foam or even a tiny pom-pom. Mouths can be made from felt, foam or a magic marker. Cut a black felt moustache to make a man bucket character. Cut shapes from black foam or felt to make hair for the character. Cut the foam into inch-wide strips that reach from the top of the bucket to the bottom. Glue these pieces all around the bucket, except just above the face, to make the hairdo. Above the face cut the inch-wide strips much shorter to make bangs. Glue these smaller pieces in place. When all the hair is attached glue the circle on top of the bucket. If you want, you can glue a satin bow onto the hair, right where the bangs meet the longer hair on the side of the bucket. You can create yarn hair for the bucket to make a different look for your character. Follow all the steps above but glue the circle on before the hair. instead of using foam pieces youll cut strands of yarn for the hair. Glue the yarn over the foam circle and trim to the length of the bucket. Make sure you glue the yarn around the coin slot; the yarn should not cover the slot. Kids can drop coins through the slot in the top, and when they want to remove the coins, all they have to do is turn the bucket over and let the coins come out of the slot. The foam can be stretched and further manipulated to allow the coins to easily fall out of the lid. Children will thoroughly enjoy making their own banks or you can make them and give them to them as a gift. Small circular objects make cute banks that look much different than the large bucket characters. Get the kids together and have fun with this craft. Its cheap, looks great, and serves a wonderful purpose!

Easy Rock Cover-ups for Ugly Surfaces

Are there ugly surfaces in your home that you simply cant afford to replace right now? Is your range hood rusty and hideous? Is your bathtub intact but atrocious? Dont worry about how youll come up with the money to make all those repairs. Get some small rocks and hot glue and youll be creating a whole new style for various areas of your home.

Small rocks, sold in bags of one color or mixed colors, are available at craft stores across the nation. You can even find small, decorative rocks at a home improvement store. Depending upon the size project you are doing the small bags from a craft store could suffice. Planning on covering the entire front of the bathtub? Choose the large bags of small rocks from a home improvement store.

Hot glue is all you need to get creative with rocks. Although most of these rock projects are very simple and inexpensive they can be somewhat time-consuming. Still, when youre finished, youll be so proud of the outcome youll want all your friends to rush over and see it. I discovered the technique a long time ago when I moved to a home with the ugliest range hood Id ever seen. The kitchen was nice but the range hood stood out like a sore thumb. The paint was faded, there were scratches that exposed bare metal, and the thing even had dents and dings! I pondered how I could beautify it but I knew mere paint wouldnt do the trick. While crafting one day, I ran upon a bag of small rocks I had purchased, hoping to think of something creative to do with them. It suddenly hit me that I could glue them all over the range hood. I thought that, even if it didnt look that great when I got done, it had to be better than what I currently had going on! I used ordinary hot glue to affix the rocks to the hood. Butt the rocks up against each other, starting from bottom and working up, until youve covered the entire surface. The tricky part is to twist and turn each rock into a position that aligns it the closest it can be to the other rocks. You dont want the old hood shining through the new rock job so placement of each rock is important. Its a good idea to spray paint the old hood a similar color to the rocks you are using. This will keep the color of the hood from being exposed between the rocks. Upon completion, the range hood looked so great, I decided to make the windows sills in the kitchen to match. I glued the small rocks all around the window frame and was it fabulous! Okay, you guessed it! I became addicted to the rock projects. I covered the front of my bathtub with the rocks then did the bathroom window frame to match. It was - and still is - beautiful. You dont have to take on huge projects when working with the rocks. Use them to cover a small lamp, a picture or mirror frame, a votive candle holder and other small objects. Mix and match colors, create patterns, even cover the rocks with glitter when youre finished. There are many different ways to use the rocks and literally thousands of designs. The rocks can be positioned to create the letter of your last name on the mantle or even on a trash can. Keep in mind that just a mere handful of the rocks can add quite a bit of weight to the object. Be generous with the hot glue, but if a rock falls off of an object, simply use the hot glue to reattach it. For projects in damp areas, like a bathroom, hot glue the rocks on then use a clear coat product from a home improvement store to protect them. The rocks you use should be rather flat but can be polished stones, ordinary pea gravel, or fancy rocks you ordered online. The choice is up to you but fancy rocks can get somewhat expensive. If youre trying to do several projects for little money choose a nice, small rock type, sold in a large bag, at most home improvement stores. Get busy - youre going to want to show the finished projects to everyone you know.

Kooky Car Parade for Kids

What young boy doesnt have zillions of cars? Big cars, little ones, cars with drivers, cars without. These assorted, often forgotten cars, can soon be part of a huge parade unlike any youve ever seen. Dig all those little cars out of the toy box, run and get the craft supply box, and soon your boy will be creating a new look for his cars - and his room. As a matter of fact, get the girls in on the fun, too. This project can be for either gender.

Have you ever been to a car parade? Every year theres one held in Houston and the owners of the cars fix them up in really unique ways. Unusual objects are attached to the cars, the cars are decorated in elaborate ways, and then the creations are paraded down the streets for everyone to enjoy. Your child can make a miniature version of the event and create a new theme for his room in the meanwhile.

Some ideas for things to use as kooky decorations include feathers, tiny buttons, pieces of fringe, beads, silly craft eyes, glitter, stickers, fake jewels, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, pieces of paper, scraps of fabric and even straws or coffee stirrers. There are many things around the house you can use to create wacky cars. Create a particular theme for your car. Make the car into a silly creature by gluing wiggly eyes over the headlights. The person can have feathers for hair and a tail made from craft foam or pom-poms. Make a different car by using flower stickers with a feather flag. Glue the feathers to a coffee stirrer and glue it to the back of the car. Add sequin or fake jewels to the design and its a glitzy car that will stand out in the crowd. Does your son have a plastic or rubber bug collection? Use them to make crazy cars! Glue a frog on top of one car or make another thats covered completely in bugs. Small bugs that fit inside the car can become the actual drivers! Other drivers can be tiny dolls, beanie babies, little army men or even farm animals. Glue them in the seats and watch the smiles when people see them. Create a skirt for a car by wrapping it with a length of fringe. Glue the fringe in place so that the ends of the fringe barely touch the ground. Now glue a small toy cowboy hat on top. Or, create a grass skirt for the car and decorate the rest of the vehicle with tiny silk flowers. There are so many different themes you can make that no two cars need to look exactly the same. Tiny trucks can be fixed much differently than cars. Fill the back of the truck up with "junk" using things around the house. Load it up with old dollhouse furniture, tiny rocks, broken crayons, pieces of wood or broken items from the bottom of the toy box. Create a different look for the truck by making feather or foam wings and attaching them to the sides of the truck. Make an exterminator truck by adding a bug to the top. Make a firefighter assistant truck by gluing on a small fire helmet. Get silly with the creations or take the time to make detailed creations that will enhance the final parade of cars. Glue a cow to the front of a truck or fencing - complete with grass and birds - to the sides of the truck. Glue a birds nest to the seat of a car and set a bird on top. Or, position a pig driver and fill the rest of the car up with other small farm animals. Doll accessories can be used to make unusual looks for many different cars. Glue Barbie doll skis into the backseat of a car then fill the car up with cotton balls to represent snow. Or, glue a tiny woman figure behind the wheel and fill the rest of the car up with Barbie shoes. After youve spent the day creating all sorts of crazy cars they can then be displayed in a parade style across a shelf. Or, you can just set the cars, here and there, all over the room. The look can be for a boys or a girls room. Get the whole family in on making the cars. Its a day of creativity and excitement for all!

Baby Sock Bouquet for the Mom-To-Be

If youre the one giving a baby shower for a friend or family member youve got to be wondering how you can create a decorative look for the day of the shower without spending a ton of money. In addition, of course, you want everything at the shower to be unique and stunning. You dont want the guests to show up and start talking about how they saw such-and-such at someone elses shower. Yikes! Instead, you want them whispering about how your decor and other things for the shower are unusual and fabulous.

Whether youre considering a beautiful table centerpiece or a gift for the mom-to-be you can have both when you make a single bouquet of roses. Not real roses, though. The roses youll make are from ordinary baby socks. The socks will become the flowers, and with some greenery thrown in, your guests will do a double-take to make sure of what they see. At first, the bouquet will look like flowers, but upon closer inspection, you can clearly see that the flowers are actually baby socks -a gift for mom and baby! Although its somewhat time consuming to make the sock flowers the finished floral arrangement is unique and beautiful.

The best socks to use for the project are ones that are very thin. Its better if you choose socks which feature no embellishments such as lace or appliques. Use pink, blue, green, yellow or any combination of those. Pink and white or blue and white are great for a baby girl or baby boy. But, the green and yellow bouquet is stunning while appropriate for a boy or a girl. Theres nothing that says you cant use all those colors, though, particularly if its a girl. Although you can use most any size of baby socks for this project keep in mind that larger socks make bigger flowers; smaller socks, of course, make smaller flowers. Lay the first sock on a table to get started. Place it so that the toe of the sock faces you, the opening of the sock faces away from you, and the heel is to your left. Begin tightly rolling the sock from the toe to the heel area. When you get to the heel, slightly fold it inwards, then continue rolling. As youre rolling the sock dont try to keep the right edges even. Instead, roll a couple of times, then roll out further and further, so that you make the roll more elongated than it normally would be. After rolling the sock use green florist tape to wrap the bottom half of the sock. Wrap it with several layers of the tape, starting at the center area and wrapping down to the end. Just before you get to the end insert a florist wire into the end of the sock. Continue wrapping the tape down the wire. This will finish these rosebud-types of flowers. Make something different by rolling the sock in the same manner but much looser. This time, dont try to elongate the roll; roll it so that the edges stay in alignment with each other. When finished, wrap the bottom third of the sock, positioning a wire next to the sock and continuing to wrap with florist tape. After the sock is wrapped separate each layer of the "flower" so that it spreads out and appears much larger. Choose the vase you want to use and set some green silk fern leaves in the vase. Position the sock flowers where you want, combining the small rosebud sock flowers with the larger creations. Now insert stems of babys breath - silk ones or real - here and there throughout the bouquet. Tie a large ribbon around the top edge of the vase to finish. You can further embellish the bouquet by curling ribbon, taping or gluing it to wooden skewers wrapped in florist tape, then inserting them into the vase. Or, candies can be taped to the skewers and positioned throughout the vase. The bouquet can be used as the centerpiece for the baby shower table then given to the mom afterwards. Shell absolutely love it and the best part is she can disassemble the flowers and use the socks for her new baby!

Safe Link Wireless Gives Free Cell Phones to Low-Income Families

Has your home phone been disconnected? Do you own a cell phone but have no minutes on it? Are you unable to afford a cell phone at all? How would you contact someone in an emergency? For many people these are real problems that have no solutions. Some people are elderly, alone or injured but have no way to reach another person if an accident should happen. But now, the government has come to the rescue of those citizens, by offering a free cell phone, as well as monthly minutes, for people who qualify.

If you are handicapped, draw disability or live on a low income you could qualify for the unique program. In conjunction with Safe Link Wireless most states now offer a government-funded program that allows certain citizens to receive the phone and minutes with no cost to themselves. TracFone, one of the worlds leading prepaid wireless programs, is given to Lifeline Assist qualifiers, the program responsible for providing the phones and service.

Although the amount of minutes and other details of the phone and service vary from state to state people who qualify can receive the phone free, as well as free minutes every month. If any of these minutes are unused they will rollover to the next month. Some features come free with the phone and service, such as caller ID, call waiting and even voice mail. No matter what state you live in the phone is generally offered to only one person in the home. It is meant as a family phone and one is not provided to each member of the family. If you are already drawing food stamps, are drawing a disability check, have a family member drawing S.S.I. or are in a government housing program you probably qualify for the free phone program. Another qualification for receiving the phone and service is that you have a physical address. The phone will be mailed to you and the program does not allow for post office boxes. You must provide a real address. Before the phone is sent you will be asked to prove your income or your participation in a qualifying government program. Also, the phone must be maintained in the name of the person who has qualified for the program. If you qualify for the free phone program, and the phone is sent to you, it can be kept forever. Even if you later drop out of the program, or no longer qualify for free minutes, you can purchase more minutes yourself or keep the phone and end the service. You do not have to return the phone should you withdraw from the program. Annual verification audits are conducted by choosing random participants and having them prove their eligibility for the program. These audits are done annually according to the laws connected with the free phone program. If asked to verify you could provide W2 forms, pay stubs or other qualifying paperwork. Many people, upon joining the program, ask if they can use their own phone with the programs free minutes. The answer to this is "No". If you qualify for the free phone program you must use the TracFone provided to you. You may not transfer the minutes onto another phone you own. Although the minutes provided to you free are not exactly plentiful - an hour or so a month - they are sufficient for making emergency calls or short calls to let relatives know you are okay each week. You can text, roam and even make long-distance calls. You will receive a replenishment of minutes around the first of the month, each month, as long as you continue to qualify for the program. Many people with no phone service worry that there will be an emergency and they will have no way to call for help. For others, loved ones with no phone causes worry and concern, and the Safe Link program can give them some relief. In most states you can apply for the free phone and minutes online. It takes little time to get verified, and after you do, you can be expecting your phone in the mail at any time.