Archive for July, 2008
I was so pleased with how pretty these candles turned out and they’re so easy! All you need to do is cut a beeswax sheet diagonally, insert wick at wide end and roll!
Once it’s together, you can rub the seam a little so it stays stuck. Younger children can do this as long as you do the cutting for them.
Beeswax smells sweet naturally and it also burns well. Several colorful rolled beeswax candles wrapped in ribbon would make a nice gift. We just made two gold beeswax tapers pictured here along with others made the day before.
If you heat the beeswax sheets a little with a blow dryer it helps soften the sheets so that they will be more pliable. I learned this the hard way since one of our red ones cracked. It turned out fine though because we just made a couple smaller ones instead.
To make votives with beeswax, cut the sheet straight across into 2 inch length strips and roll evenly around a medium cotton wick. For pillars, use the whole sheet for a big one or cut one in two straight strips for smaller ones.
July 29th, 2008
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This was so fun although the kids took off on me. I love the colors of the popsicle sticks and the paint combined.
All you need is popsicle sticks, cardboard, glue and scissors. If you want, you could decorate it with sparkles, beads, buttons, noodles, string or ribbon.
First, you need to cut the cardboard and the picture if needed to fit into the size of your frame.
Glue the picture onto the cardboard so that it’s secure.
Arrange the popsicle sticks in a criss-cross fashion as shown. Glue them on and decorate with paint. I used wood glue.
You could also glue a magnet on the back and use it for a fridge magnet or add a colorful ribbon to hang. This would make a lovely keepsake for a relative or friend especially if they were included in the picture.
July 24th, 2008
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Do you have any plain or stained t-shirts you want to bring back to life? Tie dying your t-shirts is a fun and easy way to do this.
We made several colorful shirts today and every one of them is different. There’s three for the kids, one adult and even a baby t-shirt.
First, we added water to small amounts of colored fabric dye in squeeze bottles. Next, we twisted up the t-shirts and tied them with rubber bands in several places as shown here.
Then we just squeezed the dye on different sections, wrapped in plastic for a few hours and hung them to dry 
further. The baby shirt isn’t dry yet because we got carried away on that one.
I took a pic of it anyway because I think it’s cute. This is a great way to cover up those stains that kids are bound to get on their clothes.
July 18th, 2008
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Hello there! I’m Sandra and I’m very excited about writing for Crafty Mom at Today.com. We have a creative family and we’re always coming up with new crafts and creations for fun.
Some still call me a tomboy and I have an independent streak so I’m also big on DIY projects. Sometimes it seems like a strange combo and I have friends who are surprised when they find out I enjoy cross-stitching for example.
I just bought a new futon that did not come with the hardware but I improvised with some screws and bolts I picked up from the hardware store. Both sides bend up into arms for lounging and I love it.
- I am crazy about candle making and continue to learn more about that. The newest projects that have been the most fun are cookie cutter floating candles, seashell gel candles and layered multicolored soy candles.
- Often I use recycled materials and it’s fulfilling to create new treasures from trash. Jewelry making is also very therapeutic for me and so is baking. Last Christmas I gave everyone either handmade jewelry, candles or cookies for gifts.
I look forward to and encourage you to share your craft creation ideas and input as well. You never stop learning and I’m interested in hearing about what arts and crafts you would like to explore. I will share some of the projects we’re working on in the meantime.
July 17th, 2008
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