crafty projects

[popejoan.livejournal.com]

Hi all! I wish I had a digital camera so I could actually show you my projects, but for now I will just have to write about them!



I have been meaning to get involved with crafting for some time to deal with my stress related to a very stressful social work job I have. So finally yesterday I headed out to a few stores and have started on some projects.

First, I made a wreath for my front door. I bought a dried grapevine material wreath at Hobby Lobby for about 2$. I purchased some fake rasberries on a brown stalk, some fake maroon colored flowers and these little butterflies made of feathers (hard to explain, but they are pretty.) I bought a low heat glue gun and attached the berries to the top of the wreath, curving them around so they followed the shape of the wreath. I did the same thing with the flowers but on the bottom of the wreath. I then attached the two little red butterflies on each side of the wreath. It only took me about 15 minutes and it looks great! I love the red color with the brown grapevine wreath. I am calling it my "red passion wreath."

At a fabric store in my area, I bought some small swatches of fabric that were in a bargain bin for 20 cents each. Each swatch is about 7 inches by 7 inches and I got them in funky colors and patterns. I am sewing the panels together to make a pillow. I also have plans to make little sachets with some of the swatches. Basically, these swatches were so amazingly cheap and the possibilities are endless.

I also bought one of those little sun catcher kits where you buy the metal design frame and then the little crystals that you pour into the frame and bake in the oven. Yes, these are old school and the same things you did as a kid, but they are really pretty and fun to do! I bought a little metal sun and then added in the blue, orange and yellow sprinkles per the instructions, baked it in the oven and let it cool. Now I have a pretty sun catcher on my sliding glass window!

I then bought some Sculpey polymer clay and am going to make little pendants out of it. You can make pendants in any shape or form, poke a hole in them for the chain to go through, bake in the oven and then paint when cooled! I also bought a few necklace chains and beads to create some necklaces when I make the pendants.

In addition, I bought a kid-friendly counted cross stitch kit to get me started on cross stitch. It has purple and blue birds on it and says "home sweet home." Cheesey, yes, but it's a good place to start to teach myself counted cross stitch. I also got this kit because it came with a frame I can frame my masterpiece with when I am done.

The cost for everything I bought was only around 30$ and it should last me most of the summer!