Yes, I have to admit it, I do get obsessive over things. I’ve been obsessed over cookbooks, trips, photography (though that, a long time ago), toys for the kids, making cosmetics, etc. etc. And my current obsession are crafts and craft books. I’ve finally found something I can do with the girls without being bored to tears – and I’m going full force into it (though the girls seem to be getting a bit bored with it :-(.
As I have no idea how to do crafts myself, I’ve bought a number of kits (sewing/knitting, jewelry making, silk screening, scrapbooking), but I’ve also gotten quite a few books (to be exact, six). My favorites so far are the Jennifer Traig’s Crafty Girl books
I’ve already written about the first two books I got, and now it’s the turn of Crafty Girl: Accessories
Neither book is as good as Crafty Girl Fun & Games, that is to say, I found fewer projects I wanted to do in each of these books, but I think they are pretty cool anyway. The Accessories book includes instructions for making a felt scarf, picture jewelry and sparkle hair twisties, among other things. The Cool Stuff book’s projects include making a photo placemat, a stationary kit and decorating a light switch. Many of the projects in both books are really nothing more than decorating everyday objects with craft supplies (glitter, buttons, felties, beads, ribbon, etc. etc.). Yes, they are obvious ideas, but not anything that had occurred to me prior to reading about them in the books. In other words, the books may be too elementary for an experienced crafter, but they are perfect for someone like me (and my girls).
The same cannot be said of Kids Create!: Art & Craft Experiences for 3- To 9-Year-Olds (Williamson Kids Can! Series)
I have ordered another book, The Crafty Diva’s D.I.Y. Stylebook: A Grrrl’s Guide to Cool Creations You Can Make, Show Off, and Share
And this is it, I swear. No more books, no more crafts (beyond those in our kits and the books). My obsessions are pretty strong, but don’t last too long – and I don’t want to end up with lots of things I’ll never use again.
Category: Crafts (Page 6 of 9)
My 7-year-old, Mika, won this kit at a trivia contest at Borders a couple of months back. She was staying with my mother and the two of them tried to make the friendship bracelets. Apparently it was impossible, they required more skill that either of them could muster.
The kit itself came with regular craft thread, a few plastic beads, a cheapy threader (not even a threading needle) and a few safety pins. Not very much, specially for the $17 that Borders sells it for.
All that said, I’m planning to use the thread and beads for other craft projects.
Now that the girls and I are so into crafts, we need to find supplies. Someone on Craigslist suggested hitting up the flea market, so that’s what I did this morning. I didn’t find any general craft stuff (I specially want to get things I can glue or saw onto fabric), but I found a lot of jewelry.
I ended up buying a Beads Carousel
As if all those beads were not enough, I also bought a bag of assorted old and broken jewelry for $5. I got that particular bag because it included several shell necklaces, and I’d like to use the little shells for gluing to cloth. There was much more than shells, and I’ve been able to recover quite a few beads in good condition. There are also a few pendants that I think I can clean and use, and lots of single earrings. I’m hoping to turn some into pendants, use others for their beads, and some light ones also as decorations for fabric. I don’t know what I’ll do with the rest. I also don’t know what to do with the non-broken chains that came with the kit. I’ll clean the thinner ones and I can attach pendants to them – but what about the thick ones? I’ll figure something out.
There is at least one necklace that I think Mika could wear -there is nothing wrong with it – and a couple that I wonder if we should keep for dress up. We’ll see.
What is frustrating is that there are a few necklaces that cannot be “debeaded” – the beads just won’t come out. But really, for five bucks I can’t complain.
I got this recipe from Crafty Girl Fun & Games and it worked surprisingly well. Note that you need to make the water paints several hours in advance to give them time to dry. You’ll need small non-absorbent containers for the watercolors. I used a mini-muffin pan, as recommended, I’m hoping it will clean out well. Don’t use anything you’ll need anytime soon, as I think these watercolors will last a long time. I used soap coloring to color the watercolors but you can use food coloring instead. I also used green glitter, the only type I had.
- 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. baking soda
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. glycerin
- 1/2 tsp. glitter (optional)
- soap or food coloring
Mix vinegar and baking soda in a medium bowl. Wait until the mixture stops foaming and add the cornstarch and glycerin. Stir well. Add the glitter, if using and stir.
Transfer a little bit of the mixture into a each small container (you can make 6 or so, depending on how much you want of each color and how many colors you have). Add a few drops of coloring and mix well, add more coloring if you want a more intense color. Repeat until all the watercolors are made. Dry for several hours or overnight. Use as regular watercolors.
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