Seven Things You Can Make from Your Old Cloth Place Mats

Cloth place mats give your kitchen or dining room a homey touch, but when youre ready for new ones, what do you do with the old? Usually the previous ones are still in good shape but youd just like a change. Instead of throwing them away theyre often stuffed in a closet somewhere in the house. Forget hiding those old place mats like youre ashamed of them. Make something new and exciting with them instead.

If youre like many people you have four place mats on your table. Four cloth mats can be turned into two fabulous throw pillows. Although the pillows will be small they look great when you place them amongst other pillows of various shapes and sizes. Simply position two of the mats, right sides together, and stitch around three sides. Stuff the pillow and stitch closed. Add tassels or other embellishments if you wish.

Many people only have two place mats on their table. Make a special pillow for a friend or family member using only two of the mats. Use stitching, fabric paints, or even rubber stamps to create a poem or tribute to someone you love on one place mat. Allow paints or adhesives to dry well before positioning the other place mat, stuffing, and stitching closed. Instead of making a tribute pillow, forego the paints and embellishments and use the pillow for a small pet bed. Use a single place mat to create a door decoration. Good for indoors or out, write what you want on the pillow, then display it for all to see. You can create multiple door signs if you have two or more of the mats. Use paints, stamps, small craft items and other things to create just the perfect door display for holidays or any day. Tack the door plaque on and change it at will with a new design you make from another mat. Use a single cloth place mat to make a jacket-type warming blanket for a small dog. Just add snaps, velcro or another closing device and youre done. Wrap the place mat around the dogs middle and fasten. He or she will stay warmer while outside. Use the place mat to make a picture frame mat. Cut the place mat to the size needed, treat the edges of the place mat with a no-fray product found at sewing supply stores, then replace the cardboard mat with the new cloth one. The frame and picture inside will look so much classier. The no-fray product will prevent the mat from unraveling if you ever change the photo inside the frame. Make a purse for a little girl by folding a place mat in half. Lower the front half until the back side is a couple inches higher than the front. Stitch or glue the sides shut. Use an old belt, a length or rope, or regular purse handles so the girl can carry it. Add on the embellishments you want such as silk flowers, fake jewels, sequin, small plastic novelties or other enhancements. If you have two or more place mats, yet theyre all the same color or pattern, each purse will still look different according to the craft supplies you affix to each. Make a wall hanger by starting with a cloth place mat and a dowel. Choose a dowel that is a half-inch in diameter. Make a small slit at each end of the dowel using a serrated knife. Use a piece of twine to create the hanger. Tie a knot in each end of the twine. Slide the twine ends into the slits on the ends of the dowel. The knots will prevent the twine from sliding all the way off the dowel. Fold one end of a cloth place mat over the dowel and glue into place. Now use any number of craft items to create a wall plaque, poem, tribute, announcement or other decoration. You can use stitching, fabric paint, pieces of cloth, rubber stamps and other supplies to accomplish the plaque you want to create. These make wonderful gifts. Hopefully, youre now looking at your old place mats in a whole new light. If you werent thinking of getting new place mats you probably are now. Go ahead! You wont just get new place mats; youll get all new items for you, your home or your pet!

Stuffed and Stacked Baby Food Jars

Okay, you enjoy doing crafts but you just cant think of anything new to make from all those baby food jars, right? Youve likely already created the snow globe-type holiday decorations, the baby food jar paperweight and the miniature beach scene. What else is left to make? Well, dont be in a hurry to toss out the little glass jars; there is still a craft that you probably havent yet made. Its cheap, easy, beautiful and unique. Its fun for kids or adults to create. Best of all you probably already have everything you need to make it.

Wondering what "it" is? Well, it doesnt exactly fit into the normal craft categories. That is, its not a wall hanging, its not a doll, it hasnt been knitted, crocheted or sewn. It can be made in so many different ways that it can be displayed in a childs room, a bathroom or even the kitchen. Spend money making it just perfect or use things from around the house to create it. What is it? Its a baby food jar tower - or its a Beanie Baby display pole - or its...well, lets move on with the craft.

Start by washing and drying several baby food jars and lids. Place a plastic or silk flower inside each one and screw on the lids. Each flower can be exactly alike or each jar can hold a different flower. Use epoxy - or any adhesive suitable for heavy glass - to glue the jars together. To make the stack of jars more secure its helpful to create a stand. There are many different ways to make a base, or stand, for the baby food jar stack. An instant coffee jar lid, peanut butter jar lid, or something similar, will work well. The lids can be covered in fake jewels, rolled in glitter, or further decorated. Gluing on buttons, decorative rocks or other heavy items will add weight to the base. If you have a lightweight covering to the base, like cloth, you can glue pebbles underneath the lid to add weight. Or, just tape a couple of metal washers under the lid. You dont need a whole lot of weight, but will need some, to make sure the jar tower is safe. After stuffing each jar simply glue on the lids. Turn the first jar upside-down onto the stand and glue it in place. Use the epoxy to stack the next jar, and the next. Five or six jars are suitable to create the final design. As you stack the jars arrange them to where all the flowers face the same way or to where each flower is turned in a different direction than the previous. There are any number of ways to finish the project. Tie a narrow satin ribbon around each jar lid or wait and add a much larger bow to the top of the entire stack. Use gold paint markers to color each lid and give the flower tower a look of gold horizontal stripes instead of wrapping ribbons around them. An old, glass percolator handle looks fabulous when glued on top of the stack. Or, paint a wooden knob gold and glue it in place. Even a tiny ornament can be used as the "handle" or "topper" for the stack. Instead of placing a flower in each jar, you can also fill each jar with childrens Beanie Babies, and set the pole in a childs room. Fill the jars with small soaps, rose petals, bath bombs, and similar items to create a baby food jar pole for the bathroom. Even though the lids are glued shut, and the products inside cannot be used, it looks fabulous in any bathroom. If you want to be able to access the insides of the jar, like if your childs stuffed animals are inside, you dont necessarily have to glue the lids on. Screw them on, wrap a ribbon around them, then stack. Later, the lids ribbon and lids can be removed and the animals retrieved. Fill the jars with things you just have lying around the house to create a unique look all its own. Fill one jar with buttons, one with sequin, one with glitter, etc. Make a kitchen creation by filling the jars with rice, beans, dry peas and similar goods. The finished towers make fabulous gifts for friends or terrific decor pieces for your own home.

How to Make a Watermelon Baby Carriage

When throwing a baby shower there are lots of things to consider. You have to send out invitations, clean the house well, wrap gifts for the mom-to-be. You have to decorate, come up with games to play and provide food for the guests. Theres one project you can do that not only gives you a unique centerpiece for the table but also provides a cool refreshment for a hot day. Thats right; when you make a watermelon baby carriage your guests will be impressed with the centerpiece but still enjoy it as a food.

The best watermelon to use for making a baby carriage is one that is oblong. Round watermelons arent ideal for the shape of the carriage. Its also ideal if you use a seedless watermelon. Choose the watermelon for the project; clean the outside of the melon well. You might even want to oil it slightly to give it a shiny appearance. Simply rub the oil onto the clean and dry watermelon with a cloth or paper toweling. Wipe off any excess. Find a side of the watermelon that will allow it to sit still. You might have to turn the watermelon several times before finding just the right spot so that it doesnt roll. If the watermelon rolls no matter how you position it you can always surround it with other things to keep it still. Set the watermelon in the center of the table then surround it with whole fruits. Or, arrange some lettuce leaves on a platter then set the watermelon on them.

Youll need a large non-serrated knife to cut the watermelon. Begin cutting the watermelon as if you were going to cut it in half and have two long pieces. About two-thirds of the way through the watermelon stop cutting. Now, go to the top of the melon and cut downward toward the area where you left off cutting. Cut straight down until you reach the first cut. Remove the top piece of the watermelon and refrigerate it to eat later. To make the wheels for the carriage take four slices from an orange. Make the slices approximately the same size. Position each orange slice in the wheel areas of the carriage and slide a toothpick or piece of a wooden skewer through the center of the orange slices and into the watermelon. If you want, you can skewers a cherry, grape, olive or even a marshmallow first, then skewer the orange, and insert the stick into the watermelon. If you have no wooden skewers or toothpicks you can also use pieces of clean, stiff wire. Instead of orange slices you can use grapefruit slices or make different wheels. Some choices for wheels include cardboard circles wrapped in tin foil (paint the foil black), painted margarine tub lids or even tires from an old toy vehicle. You can cube the watermelon meat, if you want, then place it back in the baby carriage. Or, you can use a small melon ball maker to form small melon pieces that look attractive. By cubing or balling the watermelon you can make room for more fruit or other goodies. Place grapes, strawberries, orange slices, marshmallows or other foods in the watermelon carriage. There are other things you can do to make the carriage even more attractive. For example, use hot glue to attach lace or eyelet material along the cut portion of the carriages hood and around the carriage opening. Or, use tube paints or paint markers to write on the side of the melon. Make the centerpiece much more impressive by attaching balloons to it. Tie helium balloons to strings and tie all the strings together. Use a bent piece of wire or something similar to insert into the hood of the carriage. Position the knot so that it cannot slip out from under the wire. The watermelon baby carriage is the cutest centerpiece for just the cost of a watermelon. Having it be the centerpiece as well as a snack is even more economical. Its a unique way to serve the guests while decorating at the same time. Everyone will remember the fabulous baby shower you through and theyll especially remember that cute watermelon baby carriage!

Paper Cone Wedding Decorations and Favors

Have you ever seen a paper doily? They look similar to ordinary doilies, but are much less expensive and made from paper. Youll often find them at dollar-theme stores but you can definitely get them at any craft store. The doilies are available in various sizes and in colors of white, cream or even gold.

Paper doilies are great for certain crafts, and if youre helping to decorate at a wedding, you can take advantage of that. The doilies cost little and can be used for several different wedding projects. Sure, some people simply use the paper doilies to line plates of foods or to set under candles, but youre much more imaginative than that! Purchase the size doilies you want. Small ones, of course, make small cones and large doilies make much larger ones. Roll the paper into a cone shape and use hot glue to secure it in the front. The edge of the doily should be positioned exactly in the front with a slight overlap so you can glue it. After youve created the cones there are many different ways to embellish them and several ways to use them.

Create many different types of wedding favors by using the paper cones. Use tulle circles - or circles of lace - to line the cones. You can also use tissue paper, muslin, or other fabrics to line the cones. Push the center of the tulle or lace down into the point of the cone. Fill the cones with wrapped mints or candies, rice, pictures and trinkets - any number of things. If youre filling the cones with something loose, like rice, put it in a small zipper-lock bag first. The tiny bags are sold at any craft store. Glue your choice of embellishments to the front of the cones before filling them. Tie a satin bow and let the ends hang long. Glue on silk leaves and small rose buds to create a Victorian look. Or, glue on gold plastic hearts, painted wooden shapes, a large fake jewel, or other choices. Youll find zillions of miniatures at any craft store making it easy for you to create most any theme. Instead of filling the cones with wedding favors you can use them to display flowers at the wedding. Add the embellishments to the front of the cone then use double-sided tape to stick the cones to corners, tables and more. Use lightweight items to fill the cones when hanging them with the tape. The rolled doily cones look lovely and will grab attention at your wedding. If you want a particular theme for the cones try purchasing scrapbook paper instead of paper doilies. Cut the papers into circles for the cones. If you want you can scallop the edges of the paper circles. Craft stores sell literally hundreds and hundreds of different paper designs. Cones can then be foil creations, pastels, bright colors and patterns, or Victorian prints. The choice is yours. Its possible to also make the cones from fabric. Choose the theme of fabric you want then cut it into the circles. Use fabric stiffener to help keep the cones shaped. The stiffener is found at any fabric store. Follow the instructions on the label for using the product. Make sure it is completely dry before folding it into the cone shape. The cloth doilies can be used like the paper ones to hold wedding favors or even flowers. Make a beautiful gift for the bride-to-be by creating a large cloth cone. Use the stiffener as stated, line it with fabric or lace, then fill the cone with any number of gifts for the bride. The cone will hold everything from rolled up towels to kitchen wares or lingerie. It makes a unique gift thats rarely seen. Create the cones for other occasions, too. Using scrapbook paper you can make the cones for graduation gifts, Easter baskets, birthday treats and much more. They are perfect for most any occasion! Ordinary printer paper makes wonderful little cones that can be embellished in many different ways. You dont have to have a lot of money to create the cones but, when theyre finished, they look like you spared no expense!

Cheap and Easy Stocking Stuffers You Make for Kids

Kids really look forward to the ton of goodies they find in their stockings every year, but if youre feeling the financial pinch, that could be more than you can afford. Make some of the stocking stuffers yourself and youll not only save money but youll thrill your child with your creations.

Really young kids will love a set of maracas you make in no time. Use bathroom tissue rolls to make the maracas. Cut four cardboard circles the size of the open end of a bathroom tissue roll. Cut four pieces of fake fur to cover the cardboard circles. Glue one fur-covered disk over one open end of the tube then fill (half full) with rice, bells, beads or other noisemakers. Glue the other fur-covered disk in place. Now wrap the entire tube in the fake fur and glue in place. The fur hides the seams well and feels good to the child. The child can shake the homemade maracas to create his or her own music.

If your child is crazy about Hannah Montana, Batman or even High School Musical he or she will love an easy puzzle you can make. Purchase one piece of magnetic sheeting at a craft store or craft department. The sheeting has a peel-away piece that exposes the adhesive underneath. Cut a picture of your childs favorite star from a magazine, poster or other source. Place the picture on the adhesive side of the sheeting. Use scissors to cut the picture into pieces for a puzzle. The pieces can be cut like a jigsaw puzzle or can be cut into simple squares. Your child can put the puzzle together, over and over, on the fridge. Place the puzzle pieces in a Christmas zipper bag and drop in the stocking. Its a fun gift thats very easy to make. If the stocking youre stuffing is for a teen that now drives you can make a cool key chain with Scrabble tiles. Use the tiles to create the childs name, astrological sign or other word. Dont go over 5 or 6 letters or the key chain will be entirely too long. Choose the letters to spell the word twice. Lay the letters of the word, face down, on a table. The letters should spell the particular word, from top to bottom. Fold a piece of cord in half and pass it through a key ring you purchase at a craft store. Let the ring lay on the table but glue the strands from it down the length of the Scrabble letters. Take the second set of letters and place them, face up, on top of the other letters, trapping the cord pieces in between. The cord you use should not be bulky. Fishing twine works great. Ordinary white glue or hot glue will work great for this project. If you dont have enough letters to spell the name twice simply turn the second set of letters upside down so that you can only see the backs of the tiles. That way, the name or word is spelled out on the front, but the back is blank, and you can use any letters you have. Make a cute gift for a babys stocking by starting with a small piece of fabric. Stitch several small jingle bells onto a piece of fabric that will wrap around the babys wrist. Two or three bells is sufficient. Stitch a piece of velcro onto the bracelet to fasten it to babys wrist. When baby moves his or her arm the bells will jingle. This is a fun gift thats simple to make. Youll find the tiny jingle bells at any craft store. Make blow bubbles yourself in no time. Take a vitamin bottle or medicine bottle and wrap it with a nice sticker to cover the label. Use a metal pipe cleaner and shape it into the blower. Bend the end of the pipe cleaner piece and glue it to the inside lid of the bottle. Hot glue is not appropriate for this craft. Mix two parts water with one part liquid dish soap to create the bubble mixture. Any child will love to find the blowing bubbles in his or her stocking. Stocking stuffers can get quite expensive, but this year, youll be making your own. Your kids will love the surprises they find on Christmas morning and youll love knowing youre not broke the day after Christmas!

Easy Bridal Veils Anyone Can Make

Your wedding has to be perfect but, contrary to popular belief, perfection doesnt have to cost a lot of money. You can make some of the wedding things yourself and save a fortune, but best of all, no one will know you didnt dig deep to pay for it all! The bridal veil, in particular, will grab attention when you make it yourself. There are several different ways to do so and all are easy enough for anyone to accomplish.

Start with a white headband to create one particular veil thats inexpensive and easy. The headband can be hard plastic or even padded fabric. Purchase enough netting or tulle to make a veil that will be short or very long - according to your own preferences. Open the fabric and lay it on a table with wrong side facing upwards. There should only be one layer and the length of the material should run horizontally.

Lay a tape measure on the headband from one end to the other. Use this measurement to decide how wide to make the veil. Begin gathering the fabric, vertically, down the center. Loosely tie a ribbon around the center of the gathered veil so that it will be the length of the measurement you took. Use hot glue to glue the gathered part of the veil to the headband. After attaching it you can sew or glue on narrow lace around the edges. Cover the gathered area with silk flowers, strands of beads and other embellishments. If you want the veil to be long in back, and shorter in the front, simply gather the veil material off-center to accommodate the design. The veil - short or long - has no sides, only a front and back. To create sides gather a piece of lace and glue it to the end of the headband. Make one for each side. The pieces shouldnt be as wide as the front and back pieces. Instead, just gather a narrow piece for each side, and glue them in place. Make a completely different design by starting with a brass ring. Youll find them in various sizes at any craft store. Purchase a 12-inch ring and several yards of lace, tulle or netting. Cut each piece twice the length of what you actually need. Cut enough to reach the floor or just to hang to the waist. Add five inches to the figure. Take the first length of lace and fold it in half. Lay one edge of the ring on the lace, just below the fold. This will leave a loop of lace above the ring. Take the ends of the lace piece and bring them up and over the ring. Slide the ends through the loop of fabric. Pull the ends all the way through as the fabric tightens around the ring. Adjust the "knot" so that it is on the outside of the ring. When youre finished with that piece do the same with another piece. Continue adding the separate pieces in the above-mentioned manner. Push the lace pieces closely together so that you can squeeze even more pieces onto the ring. When the ring is completely full youre finished. If you want, you can go a step further and sew or glue (fabric glue) the long edges of the lace pieces together so that the veil is one piece. Add narrow lace trim or other embellishments as you wish. Glue or otherwise attach several small hair clips under the lace, around the ring, to keep the veil in place. The above veil can be altered to become a half-veil if you dont want it to cover your face. Tie the lengths of lace onto the ring and scrunch them together until they cover half of the ring. Glue or otherwise fasten silk flowers, leaves and strands of beads to the remainder of the ring. As above, glue or attach small hair clips under the flowers and lace, right next to the ring. Veils are very expensive but they can be really easy to make yourself. Add your choice of ribbons and other embellishments in your wedding colors to match. Sequin, fake jewels and glitter paint are only some of the craft supplies you can use to make the veil uniquely your own. Since none of the veils take very long to make youll have lots of time left over to make the decorations!

Tips for Laying Vinyl Floor Tiles

Time for new floor covering? Dont like the prices of carpet and linoleum? Press-on vinyl floor tiles can be a little less expensive than floor covering sold on a roll but many people forego the tiles since they can give the installer a little trouble. If you follow a few basic tips, though, your vinyl floor tile job can look just like a professionals! Vinyl floor tiles are sold in boxes of 12 tiles which are each 12" x 12". They have an adhesive backing which is peeled away before positioning the tiles on the floor. Its pretty simple to peel and stick the tiles, but if you want the finished floor to look perfect youll take a few particular steps to that end.

Some people just peel and press the tiles in place. That works for the time being, but if not properly installed, the tiles can have lumps under them or even peel up in the near future. If not perfectly aligned one can stand back and see each individual square in the room. The goal is to butt them so closely together that youre hard-pressed to see the perimeters of each tile.

If youve had to replace the floor, and now youre laying the vinyl floor tiles, you need to know that sawdust is everywhere! Even if you think youve swept well you could still have trouble getting the tiles to stick. Clean floor as well as possible then follow steps below to ensure there is no more dust on the floor. Many people start by placing the first tile in a corner of the room. Thats the wrong thing to do. Find the center of the room by first measuring the width, then the length, and placing a mark where they cross in the middle. Start the first tile, at the cross, aligning one corner of the tile with one corner of the cross. After youve positioned the first tile its up to you in which direction you go. Place the second tile above, to the side or below the first one. Make sure the floor is perfectly clean and dust-free. Using a blow dryer or heat gun will help you tremendously. Not only can you blow dust from the area before laying each tile, to ensure the tile will stick, but warm tiles stick much better than cold ones. Working in a cold room means the floor is cold. Youll have little luck sticking cold tiles to a cold floor. When possible make sure the room itself is nice and warm. Theres no need to turn the heat up but having the room at about 70 degrees will be helpful. Even still use the blow dryer or heat gun to warm up the area before placing each tile. After placing each tile use the blow dryer to warm up the tile itself. Dont hold heat guns too close or you could damage the tiles. Go around the perimeter of each tile, with the blow dryer, smoothing the edges down. Dont hold your hand directly under a heat gun and be sure to wear gloves while smoothing down the tiles. Tiles can be hot after a blow dryer has been used on them and gloves will protect your hands from hot tiles. Some manufacturers of vinyl floor tiles recommend using a rolling pin to smooth the tiles. The rolling pin will help you put pressure on each tile to secure it. Using heat along with the rolling pin will give you excellent results. If possible, avoid cheap tiles sold in discount stores. Often, these tiles have deficiencies like weak adhesive or faded patterns. If the cheaper tiles are all you can afford, but the adhesive is not all it should be, use spray-on adhesive on each tile before placement. Turn the tile upside down, place it on plastic, and spray. Do not get the adhesive on the patterned side of the tile. If you do try using rubbing alcohol to remove the gummy residue from the adhesive. You dont have to be expert at remodeling to lay your own vinyl floor tiles. Anyone can do it themselves if they follow the above tips and suggestions. Hint: place knees on a pillow or piece of foam to protect them. Laying vinyl floor tiles can take some time and you will be surprised at how hard it is on the knees!

Pockets, Bows and Other Girls Outfit Embellishments

The thing about a paper pattern is that, even though its a little costly, it can be used again and again. The problem with that? If you make something over and over you end up with many garments that look alike. If you enjoy sewing shirts, dresses and other garments for your daughter or other little girl in your life you can use one pattern to make zillions of different outfits! All you need to do is learn how to make assorted embellishments. That way, each thing you make looks completely different! An outfit can look much different than another just by the pockets it has. You can cut squares, fold down all the sides, and sew it on like a regular pocket on a t-shirt - but much smaller. Or, you can make the pockets like weve all seen which have the point at the bottom. But, if you make other pockets, the next outfit you make will have a completely different look. Try making pockets shaped like hearts, for example. Look in coloring books and similar things for an animal shape that might work as a pocket. Its fun to find uniquely-shaped things and use them as patterns for pockets.

Use wide ribbon and you can make gorgeous bows in seconds. Cut a length of the ribbon, scrunch it together in the middle, then tie a piece of thread tightly around it. Use a few machine or hand stitches to tack the bow to the dress, shirt or other garment. Make just one large bow and add it to the neckline of a garment or make many tiny bows and attach them, here and there, on the outfit. Cut the ends straight for one look, with pinking shears for a different appearance, or cut them at a point on the ends to create yet another design.

You can quickly create designs on outfits when you use buttons and fabric paint. Apply a small mound of paint to one area then push the button into the paint until the paint oozes through the holes in the button as well as out from around the button. Using glitter paint, pearl types and other fabric paints you can use this technique to make flowers, letters, words and numbers or other images. Take a t-shirt and find the center line down the front. Make tiny dots with a pen on each side of the top of the line. Go down a couple of inches and make a dot on each side of the line again. Do this several times to straddle the line, all the way down the front, with dots. Cut a small hole at each dot. Now cut rectangles of cloth with pinking shears and use the pieces to embellish the shirt. Slide one end of the fabric through both holes then tie the material in one knot. With this technique you can change the look of the shirt in a couple of minutes simply by cutting more squares and trading them out for the existing ones. With the above shirt you have many other options. Instead of fabric pieces you can thread strips of leather, braided yarn or other materials through the holes. The strips, if they hang long, create a fringe effect down the front of the shirt. Its easy to change the look of an ordinary tank top or sleeveless shirt or dress, too. Tie a bow onto each strap, right where the front of the strap turns into the shirt, and the outfit will instantly look different. Tie long leather or other cords to it and you create another design entirely. Narrow lace, often used as trim for shirts and dresses, can be used in several ways to make an outfit look different than the pattern intended. Gather the lace and you create a frilly look around the collar, a pocket, wrist bands and hemlines. Sew the lace on flat and smooth, though, and you create a finished look thats tasteful and easy to accomplish. Use lace the same color as the garment to get one effect; lace of a different color to create another look for the garment. You dont need a whole bunch of patterns to keep that little girl looking nice. You just need to use more embellishments! And theyre much cheaper than patterns - especially when you make the embellishments yourself!

Christmas Decor Items You Make from a Coffee Can

Make yourself a nice, hot pot of coffee, then sit down and make something from the coffee can. At Christmastime there are many things you can make from a coffee can that will create a festive look in your home. Decorate the cans and use them to decorate your house during the holidays.

A quick and easy decoration you can make will show off your Christmas cards youve received. Wrap yarn round and round the can, from top to bottom, until the entire can is covered in yarn. The wrapped can will now display all your Christmas cards. Slide a card behind a single strand of yarn aligning the fold of the card with the yarn piece. The cards will fan out around the can and create a colorful display that looks great on a coffee table or mantle. Any size coffee can will work for this craft.

Remove the lid off a coffee can to create another decor piece for your home. Cover the can with velvet, foil or decorative paper. Set the can, open side down, on your Christmas goodies table. Set pies, plates of snacks or trays of food on the covered cans. These pillars will give a unique look to your table. Some foods are raised higher, by placing them on the cans, allowing you a more festive appearance. Tie bows around the cans to add flair. Use different size cans to add variety. Stack coffee cans in a pyramid shape to make a completely different Christmas accent for your home. Cover the cans - without lids - with cloth or decorative paper. Lay out a long, wide piece of velvet ribbon. Lay three cans, side-by-side, on the ribbon. Stack two more covered cans on top of the original three, then one more on top of the two. Although the cans can be glued together tying them together means you can disassemble later. Bring the ribbon up and tie it around the cans. All the openings of the cans should be facing you. The arrangement can be displayed in the bathroom, a childs room or even the kitchen and can hold towels, toys or even utensils. If you want you can wrap the openings of the cans with lengths of garland or even tinsel. The stacked coffee cans are easy to make and are very handy. Cover a coffee can with white faux fur and use it as a tree stand for your miniature Christmas tree. The furry stand will make any small tree come to life. With the can you dont even need a tree skirt. If you dont have any fur the can could also be covered in velvet or other cloth. A single coffee can, covered in velvet or fur, can be used in many different ways at Christmas. Use them for plant stands in any room of the house or set one in the kitchen to hold spatulas and other utensils. In the bathroom they can hold curling irons, brushes and more. Use a large coffee can to make a unique table centerpiece. Cover the can in velvet or Christmas cloth. Set the can on the table with open side facing up. Fill the can halfway with newspapers or other fillers. Now arrange small toys, stuffed animals and other novelties in the can. Allow some of the items to stick up and out of the opening. Place a ring of garland around the bottom of the can. Tie a large red bow around the top of the can. These centerpieces are made from things you already have around your house but they look great. Other things you can place in the can include a small rubber ball, candy canes, a ruler, suckers, and small candies. Use a stencil to make an image on a covered coffee can. Instead of drawing the image onto the cloth or paper use a nail to make holes around the image. Now you can set the can anywhere, containing a single tea light, and your coffee can creation will be illuminated. These cans can line sidewalks, sit on mantles or highlight the food table. Who doesnt drink coffee? Well, some people might not, but if they get a look at the things youve created from the cans they just might take up the habit! Never throw away an empty coffee can; there are just so many things you can make out of them!

Five Ways to Dress Up an Ordinary Gift Bag

Hold up a cheap gift bag, and compare it to an expensive one, and youll see the difference right away. Ordinary gift bags can be printed and colorful but they just dont hold a candle to the more expensive ones. High end gift bags have embellishments and features that plain bags dont offer. Select from various techniques for decorating plain bags, though, and the recipient will think you spent a fortune on the bag alone! Its easy to add your own enhancements, and its even easy to change the entire look of the bag, without spending much money.

One way you can change a gift bag without spending any money at all is to add a picture window. Actually, you can add as many windows as you want. They can be put in a particular order or can be added, here and there, randomly. Draw a square, circle or other shape on the bag. Place a piece of thick cardboard under the drawing. Use a craft knife to cut out the shape. The tiniest dot of hot glue, on the four front corners of the picture, will secure it inside the window. If you want you can use a piece of cling wrap to cover the picture before placing it in the window. For pennies more you can cover the photo with clear laminate paper. The pictures can be of family, pets or just images cut from magazines, like lighthouses, flowers or pyramids. This technique allows you to make any theme you want on the gift bag.

There are any number of things you can glue around the top edge of a gift bag to add flair and glamour. Check your local dollar-theme stores for things like boas, leis or fur pieces. Sewing supply stores also carry fake fur, in all sorts of colors and designs, as well as roping, ribbon or ruffled lace. Use hot glue to attach any of these embellishments around the top edge of the bag. Bows or roping can be cut to where the ends hang low in front. Small novelties can be attached to the ends of the roping. There are lots of ways to apply this technique. Whether the gift bag youre using is plain or printed you can use stickers to change the look. Lots of stores carry a wide variety of stickers, but at a craft store, youll literally find thousands. Choose one huge sticker, like Cinderella or Barbie, and place it on the front of the bag. Or, select smaller stickers, and randomly decorate the bag with them. The stickers can be holographic, glittery or just colorful. Stickers dont have to be cartoon characters or child themes. Look in the scrapbook section of your local craft store to find sticker stripes, borders and more. If you dont have stickers you can punch or cut out foil pieces, wrapping paper or even colored paper. Glue the shapes onto the gift bag to jazz up the bag. Cookie cutters make it possible to create all kinds of fabulous looks on ordinary gift bags. The cutters can be found in literally thousands of different shapes and will help you create any number of patterns. Cut out stars, circles, numbers, letters, or even holiday shapes. Place colored cling wrap behind the designs to create one look. For a different design place photos or magazine cutouts inside the shapes. If you dont have cookie cutters you can do something similar by just cutting out simplistic pictures, like from a coloring book. Trace around the images onto the gift bag. Cut the shape out and place colored cling wrap or other embellishments behind the bag. Instead of cling wrap you can place a piece of colored paper behind the shape, on a patterned bag, or a piece of patterned paper behind the shape in a solid-colored bag. Giving someone a gift feels great but youll really be feeling good when you see how much appreciation the bag itself gets. Choose to let others know you made it or keep that secret to yourself. Either way the bag will be impressive and unique. Youll have so much fun making the bags that youll never purchase an expensive bag again. Even so, yours will be the nicest one received!

Fun Silhouette Project for Kids

Rainy day? Bored kids? No problem! Get out some cardboard and your kids will have loads of fun while you spend no money at all! Whats better than a craft project that costs nothing? If you have cardboard that is at least as tall as your child youre in business! The cardboard can be used to make fun silhouettes that kids can use to decorate their room or other places in the house.

The key to making great silhouettes is, of course the lighting. Silhouettes are black images on white paper or white images on black paper. Instead of making silhouettes on paper, though, your kids will make them on cardboard. When theyre finished youll love the cute images that can be used to create a new theme in their rooms.

Tape a large piece of cardboard to a wall in the home. Have the child stand, sit, lean or otherwise pose against the cardboard. Bright light should be in front of the child and you should easily be able to see the childs shadow against the cardboard. While one child poses an adult or another child will trace around his or her image. Its important that the child stay still while another person traces around the shadow. Use a marker, chalk or even a pen to trace the image. Afterward, an adult or an older child can cut around the drawing. Having a parent use a craft knife will result in much smoother edges than if scissors are used. Spray paint the cardboard black and the silhouette is finished. Kids will have fun coming up with different poses and outfits to create the silhouettes. They can put on a cowboy hat and spurs then turn sideways to create the silhouette. Or, little girls can get dressed up in their tutus and have someone draw around them as they pose ballerina-style. There are no limits to the different creations you can make. Although cardboard works perfectly for this craft its possible to create the silhouettes with white paper. The paper should be one continuous piece. Tape the paper to the wall, create the silhouette, color it with black crayons or markers, then cut out around the image. Even though the cardboard silhouettes have more depth the paper ones are much easier for children to cut. If youve made a paper silhouette its easy to tape it to the wall. Roll small pieces of Scotch tape and place them on the back of the paper. Position the silhouette on the wall. If youve made a cardboard silhouette use double-sided tape to stick it to the wall. Use more than one silhouette to create a childrens theme in a bedroom. One silhouette can peek from behind a desk while another resides on the closet door. Theres lots of different ways to use the silhouettes for decorating. Its fun to use some real objects to embellish the silhouette. Give the black and white image a jolt of color by gluing on a real hat band, a fake jewel for a ring or bracelet, a real buckle at the waistline, and similar enhancements. People who see the silhouettes will do a double-take! Out of the corner of your eye the silhouettes look like real kids! The kids can add other images to the original silhouette by simply holding something. A child can hold a beach ball, umbrella, puppy, doll, fake dumbbells, or other prop. Draw around the object, while drawing around the child, to make an interesting single silhouette. The silhouettes dont necessarily have to be made indoors. Trace around your image outside, leaning against a post, or even pulling a wagon. Just use a bright light, at night, to help you make the design you really want. These outdoor images can be placed on a front porch or even in a garage. You and your children will have loads of fun creating crazy silhouettes. The silhouettes can be kids, parents, animals, and objects of any kind. Once youve made one youll want to make more! Its a blast watching kids get creative with different poses and its so much fun to see the looks on the faces of others when they see them!

Interchangeable, Magnetic Hat Bands You Make in Minutes

Love wearing cowboy hats? Dont love the price on new hat bands? Dont worry about it! Make your own hat bands and youll save money and have the exact design you want. No more paying big bucks yet settling for certain designs because theyre all thats available. Your homemade hat bands can have any theme you want and will cost next to nothing! Find leather sinew, in various colors, at most any craft store. The strips of leather are just what you need to create the initial hatband. After that, you can easily create many different designs that are interchangeable. A few items from a craft store, or even a hardware store, and youll have an assortment of hat bands for the price of one purchased at a retailer.

There are other things you can use besides strips of leather. Hardware stores and home improvement places carry many different cord types which will work well for creating hat bands. Some thick string is also appropriate. You can even cut strips of fabric and braid them together.

To start the hatband cut three strips of leather which will be braided together. The strips can be different colors or all the same. Allow extra length since youll lose some as you braid. When finished braiding youll decide how you want to close the braid. There are different methods and youll choose the one thats right for you. One way is to allow lengths of leather to hang off the beginning of the braid. Braid the cording, and when finished, leave lengths hanging off the ends as well. Use the extra lengths to tie the beginnings and ends of the braid together. Trim closely. A different way is to use small safety pins to hold the ends together. It doesnt matter which you choose because the embellishments you use will hide the ends. If you have tied the ends together its necessary to glue a button magnet to the knot. If youve used safety pins instead all you have to do is stick the button magnet to the safety pins. The magnet will allow you to easily change the design of the hat in a few seconds. Any metal object will stick to the button magnet to create a different look for the day. Use any number of metallic embellishments from a craft store, or even a metal piece youve purchased from a hardware store. There are many from which to choose: metallic letters, small wrought iron designs, even flat, metal squares. Stick the square to the button magnet then add another magnet as the embellishment. Using the metal squares or other shapes makes it easy to print on magnetic sheeting before attaching it to the square. Print assorted magnets then change the look of your hat any time you want. You can use other embellishments besides metal pieces. Simply affix a piece of magnetic sheeting to the back of most any lightweight object and stick it to the button magnet. This allows you to interchange the design with plastic pieces, ceramic shapes and even a silk flower. Youll find novelties galore, which are perfect for men or women, at any craft store. The novelties can be found in plastic, cardboard, metal, ceramic, cloth, and other materials. You dont necessarily have to go to a craft store to get what you need, though. Look at yard sales and flea markets for jewelry pieces you can use instead. With magnets you can give your hat any look you want. The safety pin method works best because you can easily change the hatband itself, anytime you want. Create several different bands and attach the one you want to your hat with the pins. Stick on the button magnet and youre ready to create your quick design. Any time you want simply take off that design and replace it with something else. Changing your hatband can completely change the look of your hat. Others will think you own a huge collection of hats but youll know you simply own a huge collection of hat bands! Youll have fun making them because theyre inexpensive and easy enough to create.