The first day of summer is here, which means the 4th of July is just around the corner. The year sure just keeps flying by!
I have a new article up over at Fiskars with lots of ways to craft up decorations for the 4th, including one of my and the kids' favorite things to do - sun prints!
And how to add patriotic style to very ordinary things...
Full directions and photos plus more star-filled ideas are here.
I noticed the August issue of Scrapbooks Etc magazine is hitting the newsstands, and it's a great one!
Owen and I made these fun jellyfish for the Kid's Corner (page 122) and they have posted directions over on the blog so stop by to learn how to make your own for an easy summer craft. =)
I'm a creative guest today over at Ucreate with an easy tutorial for making these fun doilies to hang at parties or anytime =).
So head on over to Ucreate and while you're there, make sure to check out the rest of this amazing crafty blog full of everything from adult and kid crafts to parties! =)
(links have been updated to this post's new location which was moved to ucreateparties.com)
I have a new party article up over at Fiskars to celebrate the end of the school year. I wasn't really feeling a school or summer theme so went to work brainstorming a clever twist on a theme. Twist? Get it? I didn't even do that on purpose :P
The term "that's a wrap" inspired a wrapped candy theme, which is versatile for all kinds of parties.
I had fun coming up with different ways to craft up candy embellishments...
... which made a candy buffet a must ... with all wrapped candy, of course. Even the main course kept with the wrap theme.
Head over to Fiskars to see all pics and directions. And now let summer break begin!
(My teacher gift ideas can be found here.)
The graduation announcements have been pouring in, and my go-to grad gift has always been money. So I decided I wanted to come up with a creative way to present a check to make it fun!
I am obsessed with paper airplanes. They have such a happy, playful feel ... and they are just easy to make. This was inspired by a graduation card I have in the most recent Scrapbooks etc. magazine with a miniature paper airplane on the front.
I figured I would share a printable for it here on the blog. Here is the pdf: Download Planegraduationcard. Just make sure you click "no scaling" when printing so it's the right size. It's designed to fit into a regular business-sized (#10) envelope.
Print out the pdf onto non-textured white cardstock. Cut out just inside the outside line so the edges remain white. Fold in half with the text inside. Fold each flap down as shown using the printed slanted mark as a guide for both placement and angle.
I cut a little notch in the back to keep it closed. Just cut two small slits and fold both to one side.
For the check, fold down both top corners to meet the bottom as shown. Then just fold in half. Insert into fold of plane to serve as the top wing-thingy (am I impressing you with my aerospace knowledge??).
I added blue paper to the front of my envelope and hand-cut a couple of clouds for adding the addresses (make sure these are all well-adhered). Fold down the flaps to place in envelope (obviously lol). The inside says ... Reach for the stars! Congratulations!
Congrats to all of the graduates! =)
Scrapbooks etc. magazine has a monthly challenge called Craft it Forward designed to use your love of crafting for something good. Create a craft project to donate to a charity or good cause, and post a photo in the Craft it Forward Gallery for the chance to win $500 cash and a $500 donation to the charity of your choice!
Each month there are suggested projects, and for June I designed patriotic cards to send to servicemen and women serving overseas or closer to home at a local veterans' hospital. Visit Craft it Forward to find out all of the details including step-by-step directions for creating these dimensional stars from regular punched cardstock.
There is a Craft it Forward blog hop going on today on the Scrapbooks etc. blog ...
so "hop" over to the talented Stephanie Howell's blog to see the next spin on this month's project!
While on the patriotic theme, I figured I would share a simple snack we had in honor of Memorial Day. Now that my youngest is home from school for the summer, I am going to be having lots of fun creating lunches and snacks that do not have the limitations of a lunchbox! Simply line up strips cut from slices of watermelon on a white plate as shown adding a grouping of blueberries for stars. It doesn't get much easier than that and is a great starting point for any kind of patriotic discussion =).
My youngest son has already finished up the school year (kindergarten ends early) and I wanted to bring in a little treat for him to hand out to his classmates at the end-of-school party. Really I think they are from *me* as I'm more traumatized about school ending than him. I helped out in the classroom once a week so I have become quite attached to these sweet kids.
I figured I'd share the printable in case anyone would like to make some, too. They are made to fit around Hershey Miniatures Chocolate Bars. Just cut out, fold at each vertical line, and adhere around bar on the adhesive tab. I recommend "signing" them before cutting.
Print onto white cardstock and *be sure* to set the Page Scaling to None when printing or they won't be the right size. The PDF is here: Download Owlmissyou
I also kept with the owl theme for "wrapping" the teacher gift. I simply cut angles from the top corners of a small treat bag and folded down, stapling once filled with goodies to secure. I added eyes made up of circle punches and a rounded chest freehand cut with scissors.
At first I thought he looked too mad, but now I just can't get enough of him. Lots of personality :P
Wreaths aren't only for holidays ... they are a great way to decorate your home year-round and can add a festive pop to parties. I love the texture they bring. And they are just fun to make =).
They can be made from fabric or felt.
Or from paper punches.
Or just about anything. You can view full photos and step-by-step directions here at Fiskars for these three wreaths.
So I've been on the hunt for new things to cut into shapes. My newest obsession comes in the form of croutons. My kids love croutons. They come by it honestly! Mmmm...
These flower croutons became a flower lunch, of course ... to celebrate me finally planting my spring annuals this week after a cold, wet start to spring. Flowers make me so happy!
I don't expect the carrot slices to stay on the cucumber flowers, but I thought it would be cute for a picture =). I couldn't stop myself and ended up attacking slices of watermelon with the flower cutter, too.
So to make them, I sliced up a loaf of bread and cut flowers from the slices with a small cookie cutter. (Use the leftover pieces, too for irregularly shaped croutons.) I tossed them with melted butter mixed with Italian seasoning and lined up on a cookie sheet. Bake 30 minutes at 300 degrees flipping once halfway through.
And there were plenty leftover for me =).
I have become completely obsessed with cupcake toppers. As if a cupcake could get funner! Is funner even a word? Merriam Webster is saying "sometimes" ... what does that even mean lol!
So I decided to use my Fiskars tools to come up with super easy ways to achieve some of the trendiest designs. You can see full directions and demo photos here at my project at Fiskars.
Can you guess which punch made these pinwheels?
Did you think I could possibly add more mustaches to my blog? It's a sickness. And I can tell you that I'm currently working on another mustache project I'll share later this week with another printable. =)
