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CRAFT TIPS

Craft Tips on this Page

Decorating with His and Her Junk

Most of us have had to make the big decision: Is it "junk" or is it worth saving? And if it's someone else's junk, you've probably got a battle ahead of you! But there is a way to save and use these old items in your decorating, especially in the den or family room.

Rusty metal items can be given new life with a good cleaning and some paint.
First, remove the rust by applying navel jelly or a rust stripper, and use a wire brush to scrape it off. If you can't get it off, you can also use a "rust reformer," which actually bonds the rust to the metal so you can paint it. Use a good rustproofing spray paint to give it a new finish. All of these products are available at home centers in the paint department.

Encourage the "junk" owner to create his or her own display by filling a bookcase with restored items and books. An old store bin that was probably used for peanuts can become a conversation piece or even be used to store things like dog food. It would look great on a kitchen countertop.

Keep an eye out for useful, often unique items like old scales, thermos bottles, toolboxes (which make great planters), metal cars and trucks, table fans, metal banks, oars, and old cigar boxes.

1.    Vases for fresh cut flowers - you don't even have to really decorate them.. but if you wish to.. you can  use glass paints and paint or stencil them. We keep cutting roses and putting them in the bottles.. then save the rose petals for our rose bead necklaces too!!!

2.    Potpourri Bottles - again, I'm using my garden for this. The kids have been filling clean snapple bottles (We LOVE the shapes of the ones marked Earth, Sun, etc. that are new) with fresh flower petals. Add a few drops of essence oils or frangrance oils (I've recently been picking these up on the clearance shelf at our local Wal Mart for only 70 cents a bottle!!!!!)
Put the metal lids back on if you have them and then (adults must do this part) lightly hammer holes in it using a nail and rubber mallet OR you can cover the top with a swatch of lace and a rubber band or golden elastic cord. Embellish with silk flowers, bows, etc.
as needed. If you don't have fresh petals to put in.. you can always use standard potpourri.

3.    Oil Lamps - all you need for oil lamps made from these bottles is the following:
       Wick - regular lantern style/oil lamp wicks purchased at WalMart in packets of 3
       are  fine. I buy  the thinnest wicks I can find.
       Lamp oil - frangranced is best but if you can't find a great smelling one.. it's not a
      real  big deal.
       Potpourri or dried fruits/veggies
       Snapple or any glass bottle with a metal lid. Spaghetti sauce jars work great for
       this too!
       Golden Elastic Cord and embellishments

All you do is fill the bottle most of the way with the lamp oil. Add your dried fruits/veggies/potpourri. Put a slit (I used a chisel and hammer to get a slit) in the lid but be sure the slit is not quite as wide as the wicks so the wick won't slip down into the bottle.
Slide the wick thru the slit leaving a very short amount sticking out of the top of the lid. Place the lid firmly onto the top of the bottle. Now you can embellish the "lantern" with lovely items but be sure NOT TO BURN the lamps with the embellishments on it!  They may burn! These make great patio lights, camp lights or kitchen table lamps! The potpourri/dried
items simply decorate the oil and serve no real purpose other than decor.
 
 

Miniature Dollhouse Chair
submitted by Nite109

Found this cute idea for a mini chair.  Depending on the size of your dollhouse.   Made of taken apart clothes pins (the snap kind).  Glue 4 single pieces along for the back side...4 pieces glued to the back and make up the seat.  2 pieces (one for each arm) and 2 pieces glued to the front pieces of each arm, which extends from the arm to the floor. Add one piece for a brace for the back of the chair, and one (or two) pieces for a brace for the
seat.  Paint with acrylic paint, and let dry.  I am sure if you wish, you could add a cushioned "pillow" made of a piece of stuffed material - glue it closed.

Ideas w/Juice Can Lid
submitted by:  PerrySue
I have done tin-punch in them, decorated the rim with lace, ribbon and tiny flowers.  A magnet can be glued on the back for use as a refrigerator magnet.  A quicker way to use them is to cut out pictures from Christmas or other type cards to fit the lid and glue them on . . .  perhaps some glitter or paint could be added to the rim.

Refrigerator Magnets w/Juice Can Lid
submitted by:  Kristy

If You Cross stitch you can use them to make magnets or onaments out of, You
just cross stitch a small design on a circle and then paste it on and some lace around the edge and a magnet. The Idea I just cam up with is......You take 2 lids and glue them on opposite sides of a toilet paper roll and Presto chango You have a large crafting spool that can be used to wrap ribbons, yarn, binding or strips of fabric on. Anything that doesn't already have a home.
 
 

Craft Containers
submitted by:  Barb

I use the little butter tubs for my ribbon.  Just cut a hole in it to stick end piece
out.  Keeps it from getting tangled.  Another great idea for storing ribbon etc. is
an oatmeal container.  You can cover it with old scraps of fabric or wall paper left overs.

Christmas Ornaments w/Juice Can Lid
submitted by:  Gloria Graham

I use juice lids for Christmas ornaments (tin punched) and put ribbon
embroidered stuffed half circles on both sides, also photo frames.
They are great to paint on for package ties (punch hole with nail)and
can be decoupaged as well.  They make nice keychains when hole punched
and chain inserted.  They are nice spraypainted with photos or scenes,
place 3 or 4 on a nice ribbon or fabric streamer to hang in a small
area.  I also use these juice cans and lids to make my own "canned
biscuits" when I mix biscuits.  They keep fresh several days and are
better than baked biscuits which go stale.  Just roll in waxed or saran
wrap and tape lid, slice when ready to bake.  Improves the flavor, I
think.
 
 

Craft Containers
submitted by:  Gloria Graham

I recycle tuna type cans for bath powder and bath "fizzies" and make
paper covers (snip and fold edges in v-folds and tie with a nice ribbon
or fabric tube (flattened).  Glass jars can be recycled for your own
mixes and homemade bath products, decorated with paints or etched, your
own computer-made labels, etc.

Decoupage sheer napkin butterflies onto rocks using clear glaze.  I printed butterflies from
the computer onto parchment paper (vellum) and cut them out for the children to glue on as a 3-D element.  It looked like the butterfly had just landed.  I have also used decoupage products like Mod Podge in the past and also watered down white glue, but I really liked the fast drying clear glaze best.

Paper Plate Holder Ornament
submitted by:  Debbie

One year for Christmas, I found at the 98 cent store a pack of wicker paper plate holders, about 4 in a pack, I traced my 18 month old 's hand in black crayon on a paper plate,  I then gave her the pack of crayons told her to color away, boy did she. when she was done I hot glued lace & put a bow I  made from thin ribbon, inserted the paper plate and dated it.  12 years later I took it a step further with my brothers 6 month old,  I traced her hand on wonder under, ironed it to a scrap of calico print  fabric, cut it out, I then took a wooden hoop,  about 79 cents, used a light colored fabric as the background, ironed the hands in the middle of the circle. i then put her name & date under the hands & Mom or Grandma or
even Aunt (I made one for myself) then I put either wide lace around the hoop or if I had enough fabric I made a ruffle & hot glued around the hoop.  Cost me about $1.45 for each. they looked great!  & they were cheap enough that i could make for my sister in laws 4
 sisters & mother not to mention my Mom & grandmother (I made 9) the same theme but they were all different.

I acrylic painted the outer  lip of the inside of the lid.....then I slightly sanded the outside rim and painted with acrylic paint also.

Leave the back free of paint as it won't be seen anyway.  Glue a magnet onthe back
(which is really the top of the lid) - glue a headshot of someone in the inside of the lid - VOILA - the cutest little magnet for the refrigerator.

Also, you could glue the lids onto a ribbon that way you only need ONE magnet to hold the ribbon and the ribbon will hold a lot of the lids.

I did a different color for each family.  You know how you have the picture of 3 smiling faces and the one that is NOT smiling....well, now you can cut that one out and put the 3 smiling ones in the lid frames.

Use old panty hose or knee highs to keep soap scraps in them.  Tie to the faucet of the shower or a hook in there etc.   The soap never gets lost and it doesn't matter if the kids squeeze it all out of shape.  PLUS...the texture of the hose is a great way to gently scrub
and revitalize your skin (especially face and arms)

Old Mouse Pad Use
submitted by Melihow

Use for old mousepads:
* keep by your cutting boards in the kitchen - keeps them from sliding around.
* Cut small circles out and put under the feet of furniture to keep from moving around on the floor ( the foamy ones work better)

Foam Meat Trays
submitted by Barb

The foam meat trays are great for making the little pop dots to raise a picture.  Use an apple corer to cut them out or just cut with scissors.  Apply with any kind of glue.  The store bought ones aren't that expensive, but every penny helps.

I have gotten into making stationary for people as gifts.  You can use the paper edgers for the border and any number of things to personalize...scraps of wall paper or contact paper, stencil, stamp, etc.  Put the same design on the back of the envelopes too.  Then take an old shoe box, bulk meat box, etc., and cover with the contact paper or wall paper.  Tie a little
ribbon on to fasten and inside the lid fasten a loop of ribbon for a pen to stick through.

Rubber Stamps with Mouse Pads
submitted by Joy Nelson

If you can't find justthe right shape rubber stamp you want, cut it out of an old
mouse pad, dip it in the paint and stamp.

Or you can use the old mouse pad as a nonslip traction for your item while painting to keep it from sliding on the table.

Tee Bags
submitted by Joy Nelson

I once made a craft with tea
bags,
folded a piece of fusible web type to make a tea bag and dropped in two golf tees, added a string and a little hang tag staples it on to the tea bag, and had "Tee Bag" written on the tag, can leave room above the words so that a name can be added to personalize , for example: "Tom's Tee Bag" . This makes a cute little stocking stuffer or gift basket addition for the golfer.
 
 

Disclaimer:  All the crafts, pictures and instructions on these pages were submitted by members of AllCraftsONLY.   All crafts were made by members.  If these are copyrighted items, please let me know and I will promptly remove them.