You Hold the Key

Happy Valentine's Day!  Here is a cute and fun project to give to your special loved one today or any day...  You hold the Key to my Heart!

Supplies Needed:

Paper Mache Heart

Cream Paint

Glitter Paint

Distress Ink

Seam Binding

Bits of Vintage Lace, Rick Rack, Buttons, Key

(whatever makes your heart happy)

Vintage Journal Paper

Glue Gun

Paint Brush

Paint heart and let dry.

Add distressing ink to the heart to age it.

Add glitter paint over the top. 

Print out your words on vintage journal paper.

Then add your vintage treasures and words to complete your heart.

This heart I will be giving to my special someone today... and it will be hanging up year round as a small reminder of our love.

Wishing you all a creative day, sweet friends.

Simple Seashell Heart Ornaments

I've always had a fondness for the gorgeous Sailor's Valentines of yesteryear.

Hundreds of tiny shells, placed ever so carefully in a beautiful pattern...

I can only imagine how long they must have taken to complete.

Just breathtaking!

These heart ornaments are fun, simple, and much less time-consuming!

Supplies:

Cardboard scraps

Assorted small seashells

Clear-drying liquid glue (such as Elmer's or Tacky Glue)

Strong scissors or an exacto knife

Twine or string

First, cut a heart shape from the cardboard.

Then, decide on a pattern and glue the shells in place.

Let dry completely and add a string loop to the back for a hanger.

Make a bunch to decorate a Valentine's Day tree, or to tie onto gifts!

Let it Snow Ornament

These sweet vintage ornaments are so cute and easy to assemble, you will want to make several.

Needed Supplies:

Small Vintage Album

Bits of Lace

Vintage Hymnal - Sheet Music

Buttons

Glue Gun

Glitter

Glitter Glue

Plastic Snowflakes

Exacto Knife

StazOn Black Ink

Tinsel Garland

Seam Binding

Vintage Mica Snowflakes

Cut album pages from vintage mini album.  (Save spine of album - pictured - for later use)

Trim sheet music to fit album page.

To make tinsel garland antique looking, ink up with Black StazOn ink pad.

Glue garland tinsel onto snowflake in a circle and add button in the center with hot glue gun.

Apply glitter glue to snowflake and add vintage mica snow (or extra glitter - as you can never have enough) to your snowflake.

To decorate album page add lace, buttons and snowflake.  Add hanger on back with seam binding and then glue sheet music into place on back to show through album page.

We all hope you are enjoying this Christmas Season.  We will be back this week with more tutorials for your holiday inspiration.

Glittered Pine Cones Tutorial

My daughters and I love making these sparkling, natural beauties.  

They make beautiful ornaments, package toppers, or bowl fillers.

Materials:

Clean, dry pine cones.  (There are directions for cleaning pine cones here.)

Waxed paper

Spray adhesive, such as Elmer's

Gallon-sized plastic zipper bag

Fine glitter in your choice of color

Clear spray sealant, such as Krylon Acrylic Crystal Clear (optional)

Instructions:

1.  This project should be done outdoors, in a well-ventilated area.  

Be sure to wear "play clothes" and disposable plastic gloves.  

It gets messy glittery!

2.  Place about 1/2 cup of fine glitter in the zipper bag.  Set aside.

3.  Hold a pine cone by the end and coat with spray adhesive, 

being careful not to miss any spots. 

Quickly place cone in bag of glitter, seal the bag, and shake to coat.

4.  Remove from bag and let dry on waxed paper. 

Repeat for other pine cones, adding more glitter to the bag if needed.

5.  If desired, use spray sealant to help the glitter stay in place.

Ribbon Napkin Rings Tutorial

Looking for an easy project to dress up your Thanksgiving table?

These ribbon napkin rings are simple to make and so fun!

I love the mix-and-match look, but you could definitely make them all the same.

Supplies:

Assorted ribbon, trim, and burlap in coordinating colors.

Buttons, lace/fabric scraps, vintage jewelry, silk flowers, acorns, or other embellishments

Scissors

Hot glue and glue gun.

Cut ribbon pieces to about 6.5 inches.

Layer ribbon as desired and glue down.  Glue embellishments to center of ribbon.
.

Flip over ribbons and fold down about 1/2" inch on each end.  Glue in place.  This will help prevent fraying and create a more finished look.  Roll ribbon into rings and glue ends together.

Easy peasy and so pretty!

Creamy Christmas Trees

Do you want to add some creamy vintage goodness to your holiday decor this Christmas Season? 

With a few minutes and some vintage goodies, you can turn these small trees into creamy goodness with a little bleach and hot water.

 Supplies:

Small Christmas Trees

Bleach - approximate 1/4 cup to approximate 1 gallon of hot water

Vintage Pearls and Small Cream Vintage Buttons

(I used pearls from a broken vintage necklace)

Vintage Mica Snow

Spray Glitter

Hot Glue Gun

 Soak mini Christmas trees in a bath of approximately 1/4 cup of bleach to a gallon of hot water.  It took approximately 15 minutes to bleach these trees. 

 Once the trees are bleached, set aside to dry completely

 Once dry, decorate your trees with vintage cream pearls and small creamy buttons by using hot glue to adhere them to the tree.

Then spray trees with glue and roll in Vintage Mica Snow to give them a dusting of freshly fall snow.

You won't be able to stop with just one tree, you will want to make a forest of Creamy Christmas Trees to add to your Christmas decor.

As I made my forest of trees I found myself humming "I'm Dreamin' of a White Christmas"! 

How about you?  Are you dreamin' of a white Christmas?  I know I am!

Sheila

***Update - I have noticed that there are botttle brush trees that are made from different materials.  Some are easier to dye than others and unfortunately some will not dye hardly at all.  My suggestion is to buy just a few to try out initially before investing in a lot.  Once you know that they will dye, then purchase more to complete your project.***

Frosted Pumpkins

Add a little frosty bling to your mini pumpkins this fall season.

By gathering a few simple supplies and following these easy instructions, you will have a whole patch of frosted pumpkins in no time at all.

 

Supplies:

German Glass Glitter

(you may substitute regular silver glitter, but there nothing like using the "real" thing)

Glitter Glue

Mini Boo Pumpkins

 Apply glitter glue to the top of the pumpkins where you want the "frost" to adhere. 

 Sprinkle German Glass Glitter over glue - shake off onto a piece of paper so you can funnel the glitter back in the jar.

Allow to dry.

These frosty pumpkins are a sweet reminder of crisp, cool, frosty mornings. Place your frosted pumpkins in your fall vignettes to add a bit of bling or put a bunch of frosted pumpkins in a stoneware bowl for a punch of creamy frosted goodness. 

For a Halloween twist to the frosty mini pumpkins, add eyes, nose and mouth with glue then sprinkle with glitter to a bling your small jack-o-lantern.

Hope you find some time to add a little sparkle and frost to your fall decor.

Hope to see you on Monday, Oct 24th as Leah joins us as a Guest Gardener! 

See you then!

Sheila

Vintage Spoon Spider Ornaments

I recently picked up a few vintage spoons while out junkin’.  They had nice tarnishing and pretty handles.  I didn’t really have a plan for them, until I realized that I needed to make some Halloween ornaments for a swap.  For some reason, spoon spiders came to mind!  Here’s how I made them!

Tools and supplies:
Goggles
Vintage spoons
Hammer
Sharpie marker
Drill and small drill bit
Dremel or metal file
Wire
Wire cutter
Small pliers
Flat glass pebbles
Beads with holes that fits snugly on the wire
E6000 Glue
Ribbon

 Instructions:

***Wear eye protection!***

Use the hammer to flatten the spoon.  

(There are several tutorials online.  I just hammered the spoons on a wood plank.)

Decide where you would like the legs to be and mark with the Sharpie.
Drill holes on marks.
(Be careful ~ the spoon may get hot from the drilling.) 

Smooth the holes with the Dremel/file.

Use pliers or a vice to fold over the handle of the spoon to the back.
Cut the wire for the legs.
Decide the length of wire that you would like for each leg, and add 1 inch.
(You will need one piece of wire for each leg.)
Insert wire in leg hole about  .75” through the back and bend the wire in half.
Wrap the wire around itself using pliers.  Twist tightly to secure.
Bend legs as desired.
Repeat for each leg.

  In a well-ventilated area, dip the very end of each leg into the E6000 glue and add a bead.
Repeat with all legs.
Glue the glass pebble to desired spot for the head.
Let dry for a day then add a ribbon hanger.

Welcome, Boo Bucket Tutorial and Giveaways

 

I am so excited that the day has finally arrived to kick off The Creative Patch!  Heather of Speckled Egg, Sarah of My So Called Junky Life and I have been working hard to bring you inspirational tutorials, digital downloads, kid’s corner, trash to treasure feature and special kits to help your creativity bloom.  We are excited to have Leah of Family Matters and Everyday Chatter, join us this month as our special Guest Gardener.

Do you have a special treat to share with your ghoulish goblin?  That special treat would look delightfully creepy in these cute Boo Buckets.  So simple and easy to assemble that you will want to make a lot of these Boo Buckets for all your little ghosts.

Supplies Needed:

Peat Pots

Burlap

Wire

Buttons

Glitter - Various Colors

Black Paint

Black Ink

Glitter Glue

Glue Sticks

Wire

Ribbon

Various Pattern Paper

Scalloped Circle Punch
Plastic Spider Rings

Dry brush black paint on burlap.  Let dry and adhere painted burlap and ribbon to pot.

Cut 2 strips of 1 1/4" x 12" Pattern Paper - and accordion fold each approximately 1/4".

Edge with black ink if wanted.

Adhere together to form circle.

 Push center down and adhere circle punch on front and back to hold pinwheel in place.

 Edge scalloped circle with glitter glue and add German Glass Glitter for a vintage look.  Add tulle if wanted.

 Using spider and assorted plastic rings for a fun accent on your boo buckets.

Add glitter glue to rings.

 Dip ring into glitter.  Once glue is dry cut off ring and adhere to boo bucket.

For handles use wire and punch hole through sides and wrap back around handles.  Using buttons and ribbon as accents on the wire.

You'll want to make all your little pumpkins these fun and easy buckets to fill up with yummy goodies.

Have fun creating!

And now for more fun....

We all joined together to offer 3 wonderful giveaways! 

Heather is offering...

I am offering some vintage goodies, including ephemera, vintage lace, vintage photo album pages, buttons, vintage millinery and a bottle of German Glass Glitter.

Sarah is offering....

ENTER TO WIN:

You will have until midnight on October 5th to enter. 

You will have three chances to win.
1.  Leave a comment here
2. Leave a second comment here letting us know that you added The Creative Patch button to your blog.

3. Leave a third comment here if you are a follower.  You won't want to miss all the tutorials, trash to treasure features, kid's corner, digital downloads and exclusive kits... so stay tuned by following.

It is that simple!  This giveaway is open to US bloggers only. Sorry!

 If you don't have a blog be sure to leave your email. 

Be on the lookout between now and Oct 6th for another creative tutorial.

Come back on October 6th as we announce our 3 winners

AND

we will be bring you some exclusive kits to help your creativity bloom.

See you soon here at The Creative Patch.

Sheila