I was on line and saw these cute and easy ways to make our own gift boxes and I thought I’d like to share these with you. Christmas is right around the corner and truthfully, it’s not just Christmas time that we often find ourselves needing a gift bag or box to put a gift in for someone. Hope you enjoy these sites.
Category: kids crafts
Washcloth bunny rabbit
My friend Linda taught me how to make these. They are truly easy and adorable for Easter baskets, baby baskets, children’s crafts, display on bathroom counter. I found a website I thought you may like.
STARFISH WALL DECORATION
I am a beach person. I love the ocean and even more, I love collecting seashells. I have my master bathroom decorated in a beach theme. I have clear glass jars of seashells displayed on the windowsill and wanted a starfish for the wall. This is what I did. Hope you’ll give it a try! So easy! Takes just a few minutes.
YOU WILL NEED:
A Starfish ( or more if you want several) these can be purchased in Walmart or any craft store, individually or in a bag .
White paint OR no paint, leave natural
Glitter if you are painting and wish it to sparkle
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
White pipe cleaners or a wire ( when I run out of wire I have been known to use a Christmas tree ornament hanger for these small tasks).
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Either leave natural or paint your starfish white and apply glitter. 2. Hot glue pipe cleaner to back center of starfish to hang on wall.
- NOTE: There are some on a shelf in my guest bedroom that just rest against a book or other item.
MAKING A PINEAPPLE PLANT
I do have to note that this is only the fourth one that I have done. I recently took the one my son and I did at his house and brought it to my house . It was far too large for his space so I planted it in my garden. It is even bigger now and flourishing in the Florida sun. I know for any of them to fruit they need to be pollinated. I’m not a gardener per say, I dabble here and there to find info I want to learn. The rest, let’s say I wing it. Lol. I am hoping by planting this other one that maybe they can be pollinated and one day bear fruit. And I pray Monsanto hasn’t gotten to our pineapples . Monsanto crops only bear fruit once. Plus they have pesticides. That’s a whole other blog that I will post one day on my companion site georgiogiavanni.wordpress.com. Anyway, I love pineapples. Here’s how to make your own pineapple plant.. Hope you’ll give it a try. Fun for children because it is successful 100% of the time. No dying plants to discourage young gardeners. Or old gardeners for that matter! 🙂
YOU WILL NEED:
A grocery store pineapple
Water
Eventually, a good potting soil
Large clay pot or ceramic pot with drainage hole.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Take your hand and put it at the base of the top greenery and hold firmly.
2. Twist the bottom of the pineapple as far as you have to, until the plant part comes off.
3. Take each bottom leave and pull toward the bottom till it falls off. Continue doing this all the way around until you have pulled off five to six rows of leaves.
4.Place the plant in a container with only enough water to cover the part without leaves.
5. Keep an eye on the water level as it soaks up water pretty easily. Change water daily.
6.Once you have good roots, place in a large clay pot.
NOTE: In a few days you will see roots. If you buy a very ripe one or let it ripen well in your home before you twist the plant off, roots will already have started growing. The picture I have posted is after two days in water. I twisted top off after pineapple was yellow and many roots were already growing. Have fun! If you want them to bear fruit, be sure to plant a few in your garden so they can be pollinated. In this ever worsening economy, it’s going to be good to know how to grow our own foods. If you don’t have a garden, even potted, it still is a great looking plant!
SOUTHWESTERN AND DOTTED STONE PAPERWEIGHT
YOU WILL NEED:
Black craft paint ( or base color of your choice)
Two sizes of paint brushes
Large stones
Something to protect your work surface
Clear spray paint
toothpicks or wooden skewers
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Paint entire rock black and allow to dry.
2. Take back of larger brush and dip into a different color paint.
3. Randomly place dots onto stone surface then switch color and continue dotting rock until it looks as you wish it to look.
4. For a different effect paint different colored stripes down rock. Once dry take toothpick or wooden skewer and dip into paint and dot in a design.
7. Once dry, spray with clear spray paint to protect your painted surface.
These make lovely paperweights. Or something to sit on a shelf. If the rock is large enough you can use for a doorstop too.
Have a blessed day!
CHRISTMAS ROCKS
Click on image to enlarge
I am a firm believer in keeping it simple. I do love Christmas. As most of us know, Christmas is a very busy, and depending on the size of your family, can be a quite costly time of year. This is why, any chance I get, I make things to give as gifts for Christmas to friends, family and co-workers. As you might imagine, I am wrapping Christmas gifts all year. Some of my friends laugh and say, ” You’re thinking of Christmas already? ”
However, when Christmas finally arrives, my expenses and workload are minimal because I have most of my homemade gifts already made. I recently decided to try my hand at rock painting. Wouldn’t you know it? After painting a few I thought, ” Oh, maybe I could make some for Christmas!”. So here are a few of my designs for Christmas Rocks. What would you do with them, you ask? I have no idea. But I’ll tell you what I plan to do with mine. Stocking stuffers that can be brought out and placed on a table or desk every year, refrigerator magnets, shelf decorations. You are limited only by your imagination. Most people love homemade gifts. This is one that can have people thinking of you each time they see it.
Have a blessed day!
HAPPY MONSTER FACES
Click on image to enlargeI WAS INSPIRED BY THE FOLLOWING SITE.CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!!
YOU WILL NEED :
Assorted sizes of flat pebbles
Black craft paint
White craft paint
Assortment of different colored craft paints
Something to protect your workspace
Paint brushes
Google eyes ( optional)
Magnets (optional)
Glue to glue on eyes ( I use a dab of Dap Caulking )
Toothpicks ( to apply caulking or glue onto rock where google eyes will be placed)
Glue gun n glue sticks if you plan on turning into magnets to use on refrigerator or school lockers or other metal surface.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Wash rocks and allow to dry.
2. Paint rocks color of your choice allowing first side to dry then flipping rocks over, paint the other side.
3. Once dry, with toothpick place dab of glue or caulking onto rock where you will be placing eyes.
4. Place google eyes in place.
5. Using black paint, dip toothpick in place and draw mouth.
6. When mouth is dry, again using toothpick or small paint brush , draw teeth where you would like them.
NOTE: If you do not have google eyes you can dip handle of paintbrush into white paint and dot where you want happy monsters eyes to be.once dry, dip toothpick or smaller brush handle into black paint and make pupils for eyes. If you want to make eyes appear as if they are shining, once black dries, take toothpick and draw an apostrophe to the right of the pupil.
May use as desk ornament or add magnet . Very cute when given as set of three or more different colors and expressions. Inexpensive gift for family members or co-workers.
Have a blessed day!
GRANDMA’S GARDEN STONES
YOU WILL NEED:
Large smooth stones (can purchase a bag full at a Home Depot store )
Craft paint the colors of your choice
White craft paint for lettering
Something to protect your work surface
Toothpicks
Paint brush
Clear spray paint
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Wash stones and allow to dry on towel or paper towels.
2. Paint entire rock the color of your choice.
3. With toothpick dipped in white paint , write names of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren , one name on each rock. ( and pets if you wish )
4. Once stones are dry, spray with clear spray paint to protect your stones from the sun and rain.
5. Place in garden or along a path.
****VARIATIONS*** You may have children’s hands painted with craft paint n place their palm print on stone as well.
Have a blessed day!
REINDEER FLOWER POTS
photo to be downloaded soon
MATERIALS:
1.SMALL CLAY FLOWER POTS
2. WHITE ACRYLIC CRAFT PAINT (glossy or flat your choice)
3. RED ACRYLIC CRAFT PAINT (or what color you wish your scarf to be but remember, you will need red for reindeer tongue if you choose to have open mouthed smile).
4. BLACK ACRYLIC CRAFT PAINT (for eyes )
5. TAN OR LIGHT BROWN ACRYLIC PAINT
6. SMALL PAINT BRUSH ( I used 1/4 inch angular shader brush)
7. LARGER HANDLED PAINT BRUSH (to make eyes) OPTIONAL
8. TOOTHPICK OR WOODEN SKEWER ( for eyebrows and dotting eyes)
9. GLUE GUN AND GLUE STICKS ( you can use regular household glue but I find it messy and takes longer to dry. ) CHILDREN SHOULD NOT USE HOT GLUE TO AVOID BURNS. 10. POM POMS ( the color of your choice for ear muffs)
11. PIPECLEANERS the color of your ear muff Pom Poms. (May use black if you don’t have ones the same color )
12. RED OR BLACK POM POM (for reindeer nose)
13. DARK BROWN PIPECLEANERS (for reindeer antlers.
14. PAPER OR OLD PLASTIC LID (for putting paint on)
15. GOOGLE EYES (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Take clean clay flower pot and paint tan or brown on top and sides to the rim of flower pot. Do not worry if you get some on the rim as you will be painting that a different color.( I personally prefer a lighter shade of brown so that reindeer antlers are a better contrast)
2. After you are satisfied with the coverage of the coats of tan paint, let dry.
3. Begin painting the scarf color on the rim .(I found it easier to hold my other hand inside flower pot and turn as I painted). Paint till you have the coverage that you like .
4. Turn the flower pot upside down and set down as you would a normal flower pot, so you can paint the very edge of the rim with the scarf color and let dry.
5. Put a little white paint on a piece of paper or old plastic lid and dot the back of small paintbrush handle into paint then dot scarf all the way around . If you want scarf to have hearts rather than dots, you put two dots side by side and pull down with brush handle to connect dots at bottom to form hearts. Set pot aside to let dry thoroughly.( If you are not sure you can evenly space, start with entire front first then sides. This will ensure any uneven spacing will be in the back and not visible.)
6. Once it has completely dried, if you are not using google eyes, put small amount of black paint onto paper or old plastic lid and take back of small brush handle and dip into black paint to dot eyes. Then in a circular motion you draw eyes the circular size you wish them to be OR use larger handled brush to make dots for eyes.
(It helps to tap onto paper or lid (one time only) if you have too much paint on handles end. It will make perfect circles. Let eyes dry, lying flower pot on its side flat. I achieved this by resting into an old crumpled towel to keep pot straight and avoid eyes from dripping.)
7. Once eyes are dry , dip end of small paint brush into black paint and mark
where smile will end on each side. Then make a semicircle smile or make an open mouth to show tongue and/ or teeth. Let dry completely resting again on towel to keep straight while drying.
8. Paint nose red or black if you have no pompoms. (Pom poms look nicer though because they give dimension to your reindeer.)
9. Once eyes are completely dry, if you have not opted to use google eyes, dip pointy end of toothpick into white paint place dot or apostrophe shape ( ‘) into eye in same place on each eye to mimic shine. Let dry.
10. Dip pointy end of skewer into black paint n draw eyebrows. Again, place onto towel to keep straight till dry.
11. Then take toothpick, dip into red paint and make tongue inside open mouth if you chose to have open mouth reindeer smile. Once that has been laid flat to dry, you can then add teeth if you so desire.
12. Insert 2 dark brown pipecleaners into hole of pot and bend inside of pot. Then pot some hot glue on end of skewer to place under bent pipecleaners so they may stick to pot. Bend antlers as desired.
13. Hot glue ear muff colored pipecleaner across top of flower pot hole and down side to where your Pom Pom earmuffs will be.
14. Hot glue ear muffs where they should be.
15. Hot glue google eyes in place. I found it easier and less messy to put tiny glue dot or tiny dab of hot glue on back of google eye and place onto pot. Remember, just tiny amount so that when you press google eye into place, no glue will be seeping out from around eyes .
VARIATIONS :
You can personalize reindeer by dipping skewer into black paint and putting name or greeting across front of scarf.
Have a blessed day!
Jeanette's Easy Creations 