DIY Mother’s Day gift ideas made with a vintage flair

Posted on May 3, 2013 by

Today, I haven three Mother’s Day crafts, all designed by Rebekah Meier, and all made with Rebekah’s distinctive vintage style. The trio includes a Treasure Box & Pin Cushion, made with a paper mache box and fabric; bright, needlefelted Flower Pins; and a Photo Memory Cube, personalized with photos and special sentiments. These are all projects you can make in an afternoon, and the materials are all easy to find. The photos link to the tutorials on StyrofoamCrafts.com.

How to make a vintage pin cushion and keepsake box for Mother's Day.

This keepsake box & pin cushion is both pretty and useful.

Use your favorite fabrics to make easy, needle felted flower pins.

Rebekah’s Felted Flower Pins would make nice gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week, too.

Beautiful, DIY photo cube with a vintage flair and made with a cube of STYROFOAM Brand Foam.

Have a crafternoon with your kids and have them make a photo cube for grandma.

Mother's Day sentiment for a photo cube.

Here’s a close-up of the saying Rebekah added to the top.

Are you making a gift for mom? Or do you have other crafty plans for the weekend? I have plans and projects to make, but I confess, I have to tackle the boxes first. Remember the boxes? They’re back, and worse than ever. I have to get them cleaned up before I can spread out and make a few things. I’ll let you know how it goes!Crafts 'n Coffee will take part in the blog hop celebrating Laura Kelly's new fabric line.

Happy crafting!

P.S. I am so excited to be part of the blog hop celebrating the new fabric line from Laura Kelly, available from Jo-Ann Stores. One of the projects on my to-do list this weekend is to start working on a patriotic craft for the June blog hop, which starts on June 10. I can’t wait to get started!

Sharon   

Posted in Fabric Craft, Gift Ideas, Home Decor, Kid's Crafts, Needle Felting, Paper Crafts, Vintage Crafts | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

How to make a Teacup Topiary from a flea market find

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

If you have plans to go junking this weekend, be sure to grab a handful of mismatched teacups to make these sweet, Teacup Topiaries. If you need an inexpensive, handmade gift for Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Week (next week!), or party favors for a bridal or baby shower, these Teacup Topiaries fit the occasion to a “T”. (Groan, right?) I also have links to tutorials for a Teapot Topiary and the cutest little Demitasse Topiary.

Teacup Topiaries, made with mismatched teacups, are perfect for Mother's Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, or bridal or baby showers.

There are endless ways to use these Teacup Topiaries.

To make a Teacup Topiary, you’ll need:

  • STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam: 2” and 2-1/2” balls
  • Teacup, with or without saucer
  • Silk flowers (use your favorite colors)
  • Silk flower stem, tree branch or wood dowel, 7″ length
  • Optional: ½” wide ribbon and floral wire
  • Moss, small handful
  • Low-temp glue gun
  • Tools needed: Scissors; wire cutters

To make a Teacup Topiary:

1. Insert the silk flower stem, tree branch or wood dowel about 2” deep into each foam ball, connecting the balls to make the topiary shape. Remove the stem, add a dab of glue in each hole, and then reconnect the balls.

2. Glue the 2-1/2” ball into the teacup. If the ball doesn’t quite fit the shape of the cup, it’s easy to slightly flatten and compress the ball on a tabletop to create a shape that fits snugly in the cup.

3. Cut flowers from stems. Arrange and glue flowers onto the 2” ball till it’s covered. Fill in any bare spots with moss.

4. Optional: Make a six-loop bow from a 36” length of ribbon; secure with wire. Wire each bow to the topiary stem, under center front of ball; glue in place.

5. Cover the top of the teacup with moss.

Here are two more options – the Teatime Topiary and a mini, Demitasse Topiary. The tutorials are on StyrofoamCrafts.com:

Teatime Topiary

Demitasse Topiary

Turn flea market finds into a Teapot Toipiary and Teacup Topiary.

Teatime Topiary (left) and Demitasse Topiary.

I hope I have a few minutes this weekend to try out a variation on these ideas . . . the wheels are turning!

I’ll have a few more handmade gift ideas for Mother’s Day tomorrow, so be sure to stop in again.

Happy crafting!

Sharon

Posted in Bridal Showers, Craft Tutorial, Entertaining, Flower Designs, Gift Ideas, Home Decor, Recycle Crafts, Topiaries, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

So pretty! Four DIY May Day bouquets to decorate your door

Posted on April 30, 2013 by

April showers are almost behind us and May flowers are ready to bloom. It’s the perfect time to DIY a springtime bouquet to decorate your front door. Each bouquet celebrates spring in its own way with a combination of birch bark, flowers, leaves, twigs, moss, and even a bird’s nest. (Hint, hint – wouldn’t these make beautiful, handmade Mother’s Day gifts, too?) They’ll last for many springs to come, too. Enjoy! (And, don’t miss the announcement of the Earth Day challenge winners . . .)

How to DIY a May Day Bouquet for your front door (or Mother's Day or a Wedding).

Beautiful floral design combines birch bark, twigs & hydrangeas. Hang on a front door or decorate a church door.

Birch Bark & Hydrangea Floral Cone by Diane Flowers & Kathleen George.

To make a Hydrangea & Birch Bark Tussy Mussy, you’ll need:

  • STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam: 12” x 4” cone
  • Preserved birch bark, 8″ x 10″ piece*
  • Willow twigs, three 12” stems
  • Honeysuckle twigs, five (you can substitute additional willow twigs for these)
  • Silk flowers: Four stems hydrangeas; blueberry pick
  • Robin’s eggs, two
  • Reindeer moss
  • Excelsior
  • Low-temp glue gun
  • Tools needed: Serrated knife; old candle or bar of soap; heavy-duty scissors; floral shears

*Note: If you’re gathering your own birch bark, please collect it from the forest floor and not from the trees. You can purchase birch bark from the Birch Bark Store in western Maine.

To make a Hydrangea & Birch Bark Tussy Mussy:

1. Wax serrated knife with a bar of soap or an old candle. Carefully cut the foam cone in half, from the tip to the base. Save one half for a future use.

2. Carefully peel excess layers from back of birch bark to make it more flexible. Using glue gun and a generous amount of glue, adhere birch bark around the front of the half-cone. After the glue dries, carefully trim away excess bark along the tip, the bottom and the sides.

3. Glue a willow twig along each side.

Twigs and a bird's nest add sweet details to the Hydrangea & Birch Bark Cone on Crafts 'n Coffee.

See the sweet nest?

4. Shape a small clump of excelsior into a shallow nest and glue to front of cone near top edge. Glue eggs into nest.

5. Carefully remove leaves from hydrangea stems, leaving stems intact. Using floral shears, cut leaf stems to 2″ long and flower stems to 4″-7″ long. Glue and insert flower stems and blueberry pick into the top of the half cone. Glue leaves into arrangement among flowers.

6. Trim honeysuckle twigs to 8″-14″ long. Position twigs in the hydrangeas and insert and glue one end of each twig into the foam cone. Referring to the photo, loop the stems around and then insert and glue other end into the top of the cone.

7. Bend a thin willow stick into a U-shape for a hanger. Insert and glue ends into the top back of cone.

8. Fill in any open areas with reindeer moss.

Here are three more front-door bouquets to make. Each photo links to the tutorial.

How to make a Bird Nest Tussy Mussy for your spring door.

Bird Nest Tussy Mussy by Rebekah Meier.

Make a beautiful Roses & Moss Cone for May Day, Mother's Day or Wedding.

Moss & Roses Cone by Diane Flowers.

The most beautiful, DIY orchid arrangement for a front door, wedding or Mother's Day.

Tropical Orchid Cone by Diane Flowers.

A few weeks ago on a rainy April day, I saw these watering cans at a garden center – so fun! I’m ready for May flowers, though, and spent time weeding and planting in my gardens this past weekend. Every year, I think my gardens are just about full, and then come springtime, I squeeze in a few more plants. Do you do that, too?

A display of colorful watering cans.

Colorful watering cans bring April showers.

Thanks to the readers who participated in our Earth Day challenge.  Congratulations to Lynda Atwood, Carla and Melissa F.! Please contact me, ladies, about your prizes.

Happy crafting!

Sharon

Posted in Bridal Showers, Craft Tutorial, Flower Designs, Gift Ideas, Home Decor, Spring Crafts, Weddings | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

DIY flower crafts for girls, Mother’s Day, weddings, or??

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

It’s flower power Friday, with tutorials for a Carnation Topiary and Carnation Pomander. Any girl would love to dress up her room with flowers, and I think these easy, DIY topiary and pomander would be pretty anywhere in the house. And, don’t forget about special occasions, like a bridal shower or wedding. DIY your own centerpieces and décor and you’ll save big bucks walking down the aisle. Mother’s Day is coming up, too — instead of a bouquet, make mom an everlasting topiary or pomander.

Super-easy Carnation Toiary and Carnation Pomander for home decor, weddings and Mother's Day.

Pink & Green Carnation Cone and Pink & Green Pomander by Diane Flowers.

To make the Pink & Green Carnation Cone, you’ll need:

  • STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam: 15” cone (or other size of your choice)
  • Small carnations: Pink, green and white, 25- 30 of each color, about 2-1/4” in diameter
  • Low-temp glue gun (optional)
  • Tools needed: Stem cutters or wire cutters

To make a Pink & Green Carnation Cone:

1. Trim the stems of the small carnations to approximately 2”. Starting at the bottom, insert a row of green carnations around the cone. Repeat, adding a row of pink and then a row of white.

2. Continue alternating the colors and rows of the carnations until the cone is completely covered.

3. If needed, adjust the carnations to fill in any gaps. Optional: Remove stems, add a dab of glue, and insert back into the holes.

To make a Pink & Green Pomander, you’ll need:

  • STYROFOAM Brand Foam: 6” ball
  • Medium size carnations: Pink and green, 15 each, about 4” in diameter
  • Low-temp glue gun (optional)
  • Tools needed: Stem cutters or wire cutters

To make a Pink & Green Pomander:

1. Trim the stems of the medium pink and green carnations to approximately 2” and insert them into the sphere of STYROFOAM™ brand foam.  Alternate the colors starting with a row around the center of the sphere. Continue till the foam ball is completely covered.

2. Optional: Remove stems, add a dab of glue, and insert back into the holes.

Ideas for decorating a girl's room that you can make yourself.

Adapt these decorating accessories to your daughter’s, or son’s, favorite colors.

This wraps up the series on ideas for decorating a girl’s bedroom. If you missed any of the projects above, here’s where you’ll find them:

Girl’s Bulletin Board

Girl’s Pencil Cube

Girl’s Message Cube

Girl’s Photo Cube Mobile

Do you see the green pedestal under the Carnation Topiary? It’s a DIY project, too, and it’s made with a cube of STYROFOAM Brand Foam covered in very cool, alligator-texture paper. There are so many ways you could use these Green & Black Gator Cubes throughout the house.

Easy home accent to DIY with textured paper and foam cubes. Endless uses!

Textured papers add intrigue to the Green & Black Deco Cubes.

Before I sign off, I want to remind you about our giveaway this week. Don’t miss it!

Giveaway on CraftsnCoffee.com

You can win the kit of your choice, a collection of genuine STYROFOAM Brand Foam, and a craft apron.

And finally, with flowers on the mind, look what’s blooming in my garden. It’s spring, at last! What’s blooming in your gardens?

spring daffodils blooms at last!

Daffodils – at last!

Happy crafting!

Sharon

Posted in Craft Tutorial, Deco Spheres, Flower Designs, Home Decor, Kid's Crafts, Pomanders, Spring Crafts, Topiaries, Weddings | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

More DIY ideas to decorate and organize kids’ bedrooms

Posted on April 25, 2013 by

Today I’m continuing the series on ideas for decorating a girl’s bedroom. Check out the sweet ensemble below – these are all easy, DIY home dec accessories. If your daughter is like mine and pink is a big “NO!”, just change out the fabric, paper, etc., to something she likes. Ditto if you’re decorating a boy’s bedroom. I’ve already featured the Girl’s Bulletin Board, and today it’s all about the cube, starting with the Girl’s Pencil Cube.

Ideas for decorating a girl's room that you can make yourself.

Adapt these decorating accessories to your daughter’s, or son’s, favorite colors.

How to make accessories for a girl's bedroom, including a Pencil Cube and Memo Cube.

Girl’s Pencil Cube (left) and Message Cube.

To make the Girl’s Pencil Cube, you’ll need:

  • STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam: 5” cube
  • 12” x 12” scrapbook paper, several sheets
  • 3/8” grommet refills (available in hardware stores)
  • Paste for paper, such as Yes! Paste; or other paper adhesive
  • Tools needed: Scissors; 1” putty knife; Exacto® blade; sharp pencil; decorative edge scissors (optional)

To make the Girl’s Pencil Cube:

1. Cut five, 5-1/8” squares of scrapbooking paper to cover the sides and top of the foam cube.

2. Using the putty knife, spread a thin, even coat of Yes! Paste or other paper adhesive onto the top of the cube. Place a paper square onto the paste, keeping the paper even with the top edge. Smooth down the paper with your fingers. Carefully trim away excess paper along the bottom and the sides.

3. Repeat, covering the four sides in the same way.

4. Using decorative edge scissors, cut paper strips to decorate along the top and sides. Or, use other materials, such as ribbon or rickrack.

5. To make holes for the pencils, use the tip of the Exacto knife to carefully make small cuts through the paper on top of the cube. Then, insert a pencil through the paper slit and push the pencil straight down 1-1/2” to 2” into the STYROFOAM Brand Foam. Twirl the pencil around to slightly enlarge the hole, making it easier to insert and remove pencils.

5. Push a grommet into each hole, pushing it down till it’s snug against the top of the cube.

The cube is one of my favorite shapes, because there’s so much you can do with it. If keeping track of notes, deadlines, memorabilia and all of the flotsam of a young girl’s life is your goal, make the Girl’s Message Cube.

How to make accessories for a girl's bedroom, including a Pencil Cube and Memo Cube.

Make the pair!

Tweens and teens are all about their BFFs, and a DIY Photo Cube is a fun way to display photos of friends. It would also make a great gift for a BFF, or grandparents. Now, if your daughter has a whole posse of BFFs, make a collection of Photo Cubes to hang in the Photo Cube Mobile.

How to make a Photo Cube Mobile.

Make a Photo Cube for the desktop, or make three for a mobile.

Tomorrow, it’s all about the pretty Carnation Topiary and Pomander – designs you just might want to make for yourself!

Happy crafting.

Sharon 

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Road trip recap: Adventures at SNAP! Conference (and a few winners announced)

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

Last week’s destination — SNAP!, a conference for craft, DIY and lifestyle bloggers. The three-day event was packed with classes, events, meals, mingling, and making friends. Today I’ll share a few SNAP! snippets, though I was there to work so I missed a lot. On the other hand, I got to meet more than 200 creative, friendly and enthusiastic bloggers and tell them all about STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam and many other products sold by FloraCraft. I’ll show you around . . .

SNAP! 2013 was held at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.

You can’t miss the landmark tower at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.

The amazing Tauni Everett and her crackerjack team of volunteers are the masterminds behind the SNAP! Conference. It’s held at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah, about 35 minutes outside of Salt Lake City. It’s nestled in the mountain ranges and the scenery is gorgeous.

The Red Barn at Thanksgiving Point is where we dined at SNAP!

Dinner and evening activities were held at the Red Barn at Thanksgiving Point.

My first stop — the exhibit space on the second floor of the Museum for Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point.

Dinosaur mural on the wall of the Museum for Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, UT.

A dinosaur mural on the side of the Museum for Ancient Life.

After setting up the FloraCraft booth, I made a quick trip down the road to the IKEA store to pick up a few things. I’m not sure which one was more exciting – the IKEA store or the views.

The IKEA store came in handy when setting up the SNAP! booth.

How pretty is this setting?

The conference ran Thursday through Saturday. I spent my days in the FloraCraft booth, along with other exhibitors like Lowe’s, World Market, MinWax, DecoArt, Cricut, Duck Tape®, Annie Sloan and Scotch Tape.

The FloraCraft booth at SNAP! Conference 2013.

I’m set up and ready to go!

Thursday night was the Pajama Party, and we organized a make & take for the bloggers. Everyone had a chance to make a Ruffled Felt Cupcake.

Pajama party fun at SNAP! with Eileen Hull, Jen Hadfield, and FloraCraft

PJ time! Sizzix designer Eileen Hull, Jen from Tater Tots & Jello and me, ready for the Pajama Party.

Jamie and Becky from The Crafting Chicks show off the Ruffled Felt Cupcakes they made with FloraCraft.

Jamie and Becky from The Crafting Chicks show off their Ruffled Felt Cupcakes.

Another night, SNAP hosted the Queen Bee Handmade Market. Notice the SNAP! logo? FloraCraft made the logo from STYROFOAM Brand Foam.

Queen Bee Handmade Market at SNAP!

There were handmade gifts and decor galore at the Queen Bee Handmade Market.

The Waffle Truck visited Thanksgiving Point while we were there, and served up amazing waffles!

The Waffle Truck visited the SNAP! Conference.

Waffles? Yes, please!

SNAP! also coincided with the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point Gardens. After packing up the booth on Saturday, I grabbed a quick, 45-minute break to see a few highlights of the Tulip Festival. The gardens and the setting were exquisite, and I finally had a few minutes to relax.

SNAP! Conference was held during the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point.

SNAP! was held during the Tulip Festival.

Thanksgiving Point Gardens at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT.

Welcome to the Thanksgiving Point Gardens.

Tulips from the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah.

Tulips!

Speaking of tulips, FloraCraft designer Dondi Richardson made the tulip centerpieces for the tables at SNAP!

DIY Tulips Centerpieces from SNAP! match the colors of the SNAP! logo.

Dondi made these colorful tulips to match the SNAP! logo.

Though the days were long, it was worth it to meet so many inspiring bloggers, and to share in their energy and enthusiasm. I am looking forward to keeping in touch with everyone I met.

Shifting gears to last week’s Road trip recap, today I’m also announcing the winners of the three Better Homes & Gardens gift packs. Winners of the books and magazines are Jessica Weyrowske, Laurie and Joan. Congratulations! This is “first come, first serve” so please contact me and let me know your preference, 1 – 3, for the three collections. Thank you!

Don’t forget this week’s Earth Day giveaway, too.

Thanks for joining me at SNAP! today. Which bloggers inspire you?

Happy crafting.

Sharon

Posted in Giveaways, Road Trip Recap | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

There’s no such things as a Styrofoam cup!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

Nope, there are no Styrofoam cups and there aren’t Styrofoam meat trays, coolers, packing peanuts, or other foam products, either. After years of reading media reports about how “Styrofoam is bad for the environment”, I wanted to take a minute on Earth Day to talk about STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam. If you’ve ever wondered if you can be environmentally responsible and still craft with STYROFOAM Brand Foam, read on. (And there’s a chance to win a prize pack, too.)

Crafting with STYROFOAM Brand Foam is a family tradition. Here's a Christmas ad from 1976.

A 1976 ad for Christmas crafting with STYROFOAM Brand Foam.

Did you know that the word “STYROFOAM” is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company, and has been for 65 years? The only products that are “STYROFOAM” are building products made by Dow, such as Blue* STYROFOAM Brand Insulation, and the white and green craft foam. That’s it. There are no other “STYROFOAM” products.

There's NO such thing as a "Styrofoam cup"; STYROFOAM is a trademark of Dow.Foam cups, coolers, meat trays, egg trays, packing peanuts, etc., etc., aren’t genuine STYROFOAM Brand Foam. They are generic foam products and they’re not made by Dow and they’re not made from STYROFOAM Brand Foam. In fact, all of those disposable foam products are made by an entirely different manufacturing process. That said, I think we can all agree that these disposable foam products present an environmental challenge, and they need to be recycled. (I’m fortunate that my local grocery store has a collection bin for polystyrene foam containers.)

Here’s some good news about STYROFOAM Brand Products:

Blue STYROFOAM Brand Insulation saves $10 billion in energy costs annually.

Blue STYROFOAM Brand Insulation makes it cozy and saves energy.

  • STYROFOAM Brand Products are installed in more than 20 million residential and commercial buildings worldwide to help save energy.
  • STYROFOAM Brand Insulation currently insulates more than 20 billion square feet, saving residential and business owners an estimated $10 billion in energy costs annually.
  • STYROFOAM Brand Products from Dow save more energy each year than Dow uses to produce all of its products across the globe.
  • All of the shred made from the manufacture of STYROFOAM Brand Foam and the fabrication of the foam is recycled. That’s right, it’s not going to landfills, it’s going right back into the manufacturing process.
  • There are no VOCs in STYROFOAM Brand Foam.

What I like to stop and think about is how generations of families have created happy memories while crafting with STYROFOAM Brand Foam. I wasn’t even 10 years old when I remember pinning reindeer sequins onto balls of STYROFOAM Brand Foam to make Christmas ornaments (do you still have them, mom?). I remember my daughter making little “pink piggies” from STYROFOAM Brand Foam when she was just a toddler. Crafting has brought a lot of happiness to my life, and I hope yours, too.

STYROFOAM Brand Foam is a tradition - check out these craft books from 1960!

Vintage love: Craft books from 1960. STYROFOAM Brand Foam is a tradition!

When you’re crafting with STYROFOAM Brand Foam, be sure you have the genuine foam. I bet you know the difference already – it’s crisp and clean, easy to cut and shape, and has a texture you can feel. It’s not the “cup”-style foam.

For more about STYROFOAM Brand Foam, take our Foam Trivia quiz.

How do you celebrate Earth Day everyday? Do you recycle? Compost kitchen waste? Shop at second-hand stores? Or?? Please share what you’re doing to help the environment, and I’ll choose one Crafts ‘n Coffee reader to receive a gift pack of assorted shapes of genuine STYROFOAM Brand Foam, your choice of a craft kit, and one of our craft aprons, too. Be sure to leave a comment below by Sunday, April 28, and I’ll announce the winner next week.

**Congratulations to Lynda Atwood, Carla and Melissa F.! Please contact me, ladies, about your prizes.**

Giveaway on CraftsnCoffee.com

You can win the kit of your choice, a collection of genuine STYROFOAM Brand Foam, and a craft apron.

Happy crafting, and please be sure to recycle.

P.S. If you’d like to celebrate Earth Day with a recycling craft, then repurpose your jeans and make a Denim Pencil Cube and Memo Board. Or, make T-Shirt Wall Art from your old, favorite shirts.

**This Giveaway is now closed**

Sharon

Posted in Giveaways, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

For the girls: How to make a Zebra Stripe Duct Tape Wreath

Posted on April 19, 2013 by

With hot pink zebra stripes, feathers and polka dot flowers, this Zippy Zebra Duct Tape Wreath is custom made for tweens & teens. I made this wreath last year, around the time when I made my Tie-Dye Duct Tape Wreath. The wreaths were so fun & easy, I couldn’t stop! If you need a craft project for a scout troop, this is it.  What tween/teenage girl wouldn’t want a duct tape wreath for her bedroom door?

How to make a zippy, zebra stripe duct tape wreath (super easy!).

Zippy Zebra Duct Tape Wreath

To make a Zippy Zebra Duct Tape Wreath, you’ll need:

  • STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam: 12” wreath
  • Duct tape, one roll in your favorite pattern
  • Feather picks, two
  • Silk flowers, three (I used polka dot gerbera daisies)
  • Straight pins
  • Ribbon, 12” (optional)
  • Low-temp glue gun & glue sticks
  • Tools needed: Scissors; wire knippers

To make a Zippy Zebra Duct Tape Wreath:

1. Tear a 36” length of duct tape from the roll. Starting at one end of the strip, tear off a narrow strip, about ½” wide, lengthwise. Carefully put aside the ½”wide strip for a future use.*

2. Pin the wider duct tape strip to the back of the wreath and wrap the strip round & round the wreath, slightly overlapping with each pass. Pin the other end of the strip to the back of the wreath, and trim any extra tape. Repeat, wrapping the wreath with strips of duct tape till it’s covered.

3. If needed, clip stems off silk flowers using wire knippers. Glue on flowers. Trim feather, and glue to each side of the wreath.

4. To hang your wreath, you can fold in half a 12” x 1” length of duct tape and pin and glue the tape loop to the back of the wreath. Or, use a 12” length of ribbon as your hanger.

*Here’s what I did with my leftover skinny strips – I made Duct Tape Deco Spheres.

DIY easy Duct Tape Deco Spheres.

Make Duct Tape Deco Spheres from your scraps.

For more duct-tape inspiration, check out the Tie Dye Duct Tape Wreaths.

Super fast & fun DIY -- make a Tie-Dye Duct Tape Wreath.

Tie-Dye Duct Tape Wreaths.

Thanks for “sticking” with me today. What kind of fun have you had making duct tape crafts? Tell me about the projects you’ve made.

Happy crafting.

Sharon  

Posted in Craft Tutorial, Deco Spheres, Home Decor, Kid's Crafts, Wreaths | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Kid’s room re-do: DIY window cornices for a child’s bedroom

Posted on April 18, 2013 by

Do you think window cornices are too fancy or too expensive for a child’s bedroom?  What if you could make your own window cornices, in just a few hours’ time and for less than $100? Would you DIY window cornices for the youngsters in your household? I hope you’ll think about it, because you won’t believe how cute these foam & fabric window cornices are!

First, here’s what you’ll need to make the window cornices. Doesn’t look too intimidating, does it? All of these supplies are available at your local craft store.

Easy DIY window cornices - cute for decorating nurseries and kid's bedrooms

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own window cornices.

Then, look at how it all comes together. Super-cute! (Check out the coordinating details on the roller shade). As your child grows and his or her interests change, you can always re-cover the Leapin’ Lizards Foam Window Cornice and use it again and again.

How to make custom window treatments on the cheap for children's bedrooms

Leapin’ Lizards Window Cornice

Change up the fabric and you’ll have a whole new look, like this Animal Adventure Window Cornice.

How to make a super-cute, custom window cornice for a child's room.

Animal Adventure Window Cornice

What tweenage girl wouldn’t love this ensemble? The tutorials for the Girl’s Window Cornice and the Beaded Curtain are on Styrofoamcrafts.com. And again, once your daughter is done with pink, you can re-cover it in the color du jour.

How to DIY inexpensive window treatments for kid's rooms that looks like you spent a fortune!

Girl’s Window Cornice & Beaded Curtain

So, what do you think? Have I changed your mind about making window cornices for your kids’ bedrooms? Or, do you think you’ll make them for yourself?

Happy crafting!

Sharon

Posted in Craft Tutorial, Fabric Craft, Great Decor in a Flash -- Without a Lot of Cash, Home Decor | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Road trip recap: A tour of Better Homes & Gardens headquarters

Posted on April 16, 2013 by

I have another crafty adventure to share today. I’ve already mentioned the CHA Show and my trip to FloraCraft, and today I’m going to fill you in on our trip to Des Moines, Iowa, to visit the headquarters of Meredith Corporation. I’m sure you’re familiar with Meredith and its flagship magazine – Better Homes & Gardens, along with dozens of Special Interest Publications, like Holiday Crafts and Halloween Tricks & Treats. (And speaking of magazines, don’t miss this week’s magazine giveaway!)

I traveled to Meredith with the marketing team from FloraCraft. We wanted to learn more about Meredith; meet a few editors; provide an opportunity for some hands-on crafting with STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam and other products; and talk about ways to inspire crafters. It was another trip when the winter weather smiled on us and we made it in and out of Des Moines between blizzards.

Metal starbursts in the atrium of Meredith Publishing in Des Moines, Iowa.

Colorful metal star bursts greet visitors to Meredith Publishing.

Our day began with a tour of the Meredith headquarters, and I hope you’ll follow along. We arrived in the multi-story atrium, decorated with colorful, metal star bursts. These star bursts are part of Meredith’s extensive art collection. (If you’re like us and wondering who cleans these stars, we were told that employee volunteers keep them dusted.)

Ever wonder what a million-dollar kitchen looks like? This is the kitchen in which Meredith meets and strategizes with national food companies.

A million-dollar kitchen at Meredith Publishing.

This kitchen, and an adjacent conference room, have a million-dollar price tag!

Here are the test kitchens, where Meredith tests every recipe that appears in its magazines. There’s a staffer whose full-time job is grocery shopping!

A peek into Better Homes & Gardens test kitchens.

This is just one of several test kitchens at Better Homes & Gardens headquarters.

Up in the editorial offices, the craft group has its own “test kitchen” where staffers have an opportunity to craft and sew.

The Better Homes & Gardens craft room at Meredith Publishing.

The craft group’s “test kitchen.”

Meredith’s photo studio is enormous, with set after set ready for staging. They shoot quite a bit of video here, too.

Just one set in the extensive photo studio at Meredith Publishing.

A set in the Meredith photo studio.

There’s a huge storage room with dishes, glassware, linens, and many other props. And there are even more props stored in other locations throughout the studio.

The prop room in the Meredith photo studio has shelf after shelf of photo props.

The “shop till you drop” prop room.

In 1902, Edwin Thomas Meredith published the first issue of Successful Farming, which later became Better Homes & Gardens.

The history of Meredith Publishing. Better Homes & Gardens began as Successful Farming magazine.

Better Homes & Gardens magazine started out as Successful Farming magazine.

After the tour, it was our turn to talk, and we gave a little presentation all about FloraCraft, Dow, and our product line. Then, the editors got to have a little hands-on fun, making their own craft projects.

Meredith editor makes a burlap wreath.

Sara Reimer from Midwest Living makes a burlap wreath.

The Meredith editors gathered to craft with STYROFOAM Brand Foam - fun!

Hands-on fun at Meredith Publishing.

Here I am with Amy Gates and Ann Blevins (right). Ann is the editor of Holiday Crafts and Halloween Tricks and Treats. Ann shared a sneak peek at the pages of 2013 Holiday Crafts and I cannot wait to see it on the newsstands. It’s page after page of beautiful and inspiring crafts and décor!

A visit to Meredith Publishing with Amy Gates and Ann Blevins.

Amy Gates, me, and Ann Blevins.

Fortunately, I came home with a stack of Meredith magazines and books and I can share some of the inspiration with you! I’ve split my magazine swag into three gift packs to give away, and here’s what they are:

  • The spring 2013 issue of Country Gardens and the book Best of Country Gardens
  • The books Best of Flea Market Style and Cottage Style
  • Chicken Dinners (these recipes look so good!), 2012 BH&G Prizewinning Recipes, and the Secrets of Getting Organized.

If you’d like to win one of these gift packs, tell me about your favorite craft or home decor magazine. Or, if you’re not a magazine reader, which blogs do you follow? I want to know all about your go-to sources for craft and home décor inspiration. Let me know by midnight on Sunday, April 21st, and I’ll announce the three winners next week.

The winners are Jessica Weyrowske, Laurie and Joan. Please Contact Me to arrange for shipping. Thank you.

**This Giveaway is Closed**

Happy crafting!

Sharon

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