Seashell Crafts
Posted by: Crystal on: September 26, 2008
When I was a kid, I loved going to the beach to pick up the seashells to make my own jewelry. Even now. Seashells are a favorite of all beachgoers, whether they are children or adults. They’re also wonderful for crafting. Here are a few things you can make with them:
* Magnets - Simply glue a magnet to the back of a seashell. This will serve as a reminder of the fun you had at the beach every time you walk by the refrigerator.
* Picture frames – Glue some seashells to a picture frame, and decorate with paint, glitter, and stick-on jewels. This makes a wonderful gift!
* Jewelry - Seashells make lovely jewelry. Carefully drill small holes in seashells (or poke them with a needle if they are delicate enough), and thread them onto fishing line. Add some beads if you like to make a necklace or bracelet. You can also buy ear wires at a craft store and use seashells to make dangle earrings.
Here are just some of my ideas on how to use seashells to create beautiful crafts. Have fun.
How to Use Nature Stones To Beautify Your Home
Posted by: Crystal on: September 24, 2008
To create a postive influence on your heath and wellness, how about bringing some natural elements into your home? Natural elements such as stones, plants can help to create beautiful inexpensive home decor for you. You will find that making use of small natural accents such as a flat bowl of river rocks on a side table is actually cost-saving and simple to implement.
The simplest way to use stones into your décor is to place them as smaller accent pieces within the room. For instance, a bowl holding small river rocks or pebbles can be placed on a table or mantle or, alternatively, stones and pebbles can be placed in a hurricane vase as a centerpiece or as a bolder statement in living room décor.
Small stones and pebbles can be used as a decorative cover for soil in houseplants. They provide a much nicer look than soil alone and, if mixed into the soil as well, will provide better drainage for the health of your plants. This is also particularly helpful is you have animals or small children who like to dig in the dirt of your potted plants, or cats that like to use your houseplants as a litter box.
Small stones and pebbles can also be used as decorative accents in clear vases holding flowers, bowls with floating candles, or surrounding the base of candles on trays or plates used as candle holders.
As for larger stones can be used alone as decorative accents or on bookshelves or tabletops as bookends, while medium-sized stones are perfect for paperweights or holding cookbooks open to the correct page. If you are using stones as bookends or on surfaces that might be scratched – such as wood, you may like to make sure that you attach felt pads to the bottom of the stones to protect your previous wood tabletops and shelves.
I hope you have a great time using natural stones to create your own unique arts or crafts to beautify your home.
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Nature Crafting
Posted by: Crystal on: September 22, 2008
Nature gives us lots of wonderful things. On a nature walk we can find beautiful wildflowers, delicious berries, and adorable birds and animals to watch. We can also find lots of great stuff for crafting.
Nature crafts are great for kids. They help them appreciate and learn about the natural world. Here are a few crafts using things found in nature that your kids will enjoy.
Pinecone Birdfeeders
Pinecones are great for crafting because they are nice and durable. This pinecone birdfeeder is easy to make, and you can hang it outside your window and watch as the birds feast from it. You’ll need:
* A large pinecone
* Peanut butter
* Rubber spatula
* Birdseed
* Some twine or yarn
* A pan or pie plate
Spread peanut butter onto the pinecone with the rubber spatula, making sure to get it between the petals. Pour birdseed into the pan or pie plate, and roll the pinecone around in it. Tie the twine or yarn around one end of the cone, and hang it on a tree or somewhere else that birds will be able to find it.
Leaf Rubbings
This is a quick and easy craft for even the smallest children. Simply gather different kinds of leaves, and grab some paper and crayons. Put a leaf under the paper, and using the side of a crayon, rub gently over it. An imprint of the leaf will appear. Using several different kinds of leaves and different colors will create a lovely work of art.
Pet Rocks and Paperweights
With a little imagination, a rock can become a beloved pet! Decorating it can be lots of fun. Here are some things you could use:
* Acrylic paint
* Googly eyes
* Small pieces of cloth (for clothing)
* Pipe cleaners (for arms/legs)
* Spanish moss (for hair/fur)
* Small dried flowers
You could also a large rock to make a paperweight. In addition to the items above, you might use stickers, stick-on jewels, pom-poms, or any other embellishments you like.
Tips for Crafting With Herbs
Posted by: Crystal on: September 17, 2008
Crafting with herbs isn’t complicated, but it helps to have some basic knowledge about them before you begin. Here are some tips to help you get started:
* Harvest herbs early in the morning, right after the dew has dried up. This will prevent them from wilting.
* For most projects, you’ll need to dry the herbs first. Long-stemmed herbs can be dried by putting them in small bundles, tying the ends of the stems together and hanging them in a dry place out of direct sunlight. Putting a paper bag over them and poking some air holes in it will keep them from getting dusty and catch any fallen leaves. Those with shorter stems can be dried by laying the leaves on a clean screen in the same type of place. Drying by these methods can take anywhere from one to three weeks.
* If you need your herbs dried faster, you can dry them in the oven or microwave. Put them in the oven at a very low temperature for 8 to 10 hours, or in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. These methods tend to make the herbs’ scent diminish more quickly, so if you’re using them for fragrance, it’s better to dry them using the slower method.
* If you have a specific project in mind, lay long-stemmed herbs out in the pattern you plan to use before you dry them. Then tie them up in bundles that you can use without taking them apart. This will help prevent them from crumbling or falling apart.
* Some good crafts to make with dried herbs include wreaths, candle rings, and other home décor items. Fragrant herbs are good for making potpourri, and you can press herbs to use for scrapbooking.
* It’s possible to use live herbs to make a wreath. This is done using a wire wreath frame, sphagnum moss, and young herb plants. The herbs are placed on a layer of the moss, covered with more moss, and carefully wrapped with wire. This is a great way to keep fresh herbs close at hand for cooking.
Herbs provide us with numerous seasonings and natural medicines, as well as a variety of crafting options. Using herbs in your projects will add a touch of nature and fragrance to your home, and these projects make wonderful gifts as well. Planting an herb garden can keep these wonderfully beneficial plants as close as your back yard or windowsill.
Welcome To All About Crafts
Posted by: Crystal on: September 17, 2008
Thanks for coming by my crafts blog. Doing crafts have been part of my life. I hope that through this blog, I can share my passion with more people. Do drop me your comments.
Cheers.
