Crafts Archives - Southern Living with Chris

05/20/201905/20/2019

Craft Organization Project: Glue Gun Stand

Crafting is a great outlet for individual creativity and pure source of feeling productive. When the process becomes frustrating and a job, it’s time to reorganize and make things better and the process easy to handle.

I always seem to be looking for things or fumbling through the project for the glue sticks, trying to not get hot glue all over my table or counter, and to have it all in one place ready to use and clean up easily after I am finished.

This is an easy project and I actually had all the necessary items on hand. (I do tend to save a lot of stuff for some project later) All you will need is a small glass cutting board, a glass or cup large and tall enough to hold your glue sticks, a small ring to set your glue gun on while you work and E6000 clear glue or an all purpose glue for glass. I found a glass top from a small dollar tree candle was the exact size and height for my particular glue gun. Tee light holders can be used also, some are too high for the glue gun so you will have to measure to see if it will rest and stand with that one you choose. A medal canning ring would also work if it not to high for the gun stand. I like to use the glass because it is so easy to remove the glue drippings and it is a good weight so it feels stable as you are using it.

I simple laid out the glass board, the cup and glass ring in a position that was comfortable for me. I am right handed so I set it up for my ease of use and placed the glue stick cup/glass were I can easily reach them as needed. Make sure that your glue gun can stand on the cutting board without tipping over, the size of the board may have to be big enough to accommadate all of the items on the board for the size of your gun. My glue gun is 7×7 inches and my cutting board is 8×11 inches. If you have something larger or smaller you will have to adjust the cutting board size.

When you finally get everything placed that is comfortable for you, simply use the E6000 or glue of your choice, and glue to the board. Let it dry completely and you are ready to go. I love that everything is handy and I can even wind up the cord and place it in the stick cup when I am through.

04/02/201904/04/2019

Burlap and Pearl Spring Wreath

It’s that time of year again when all the trees are budding and plants are breaking ground, and I to want to renew my home decor. Nothing too drastic, just a few new decorations that say spring is here. While looking for things that appealed to me I saw a burlap wreath that looked easy and economical to make so I bought a few things and gave it try. I was very pleased with the results, but the ease of making it was the real bonus.

The instruction and demo are on youtube, they are done by Kat’s Creations. She is an excellent teacher and she does not go to fast so you can keep up with what she is doing. Her you tube address is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkttOaZh4VY. She will tell you the items she uses and the sizes. Her wreath was a fall wreath and she also included a sign in the center. I made mine for the spring season so I chose to use the burlap with pearl edges that I found at my Walmart , I used three 6″ rolls to complete the wreath. The wreath form measures 12 inches in diameter and is the Dollar Tree wire form. The finished wreath is 15 inches across and about 3+ deep. I think you could hang this in between the door and storm door. I did not want a sign on this one so I just left it plain and added the bow. I was really happy with my end result and I hope you will get inspired to try one yourself.

11/07/201812/09/2019

Candy Cane Door Decor DIY

I love to craft and decorate for the holidays and I have found that making some of my own decorations is more fulfilling than just purchasing them. Lets face it, somethings are out of my ability wheelhouse and I can recognize that fact, but sometimes just a little visual example and explanation can get you trying things you may have never thought to try before.

I have recently started watching some learning channel, You Tube “how to” channels and I find some amazing crafters and creators that are just phenomenal. Their instructions are visual and understandable and totally enjoyable. I recommend you take a look at something you may be interested in and give it a try.

I made this Candy cane door decoration with five plastic candy cane sticks I purchased from Wal-mart, an evergreen pick, two ornaments, and three different kinds of ribbon. The five candy cane sticks are zip tied together and before the final tightening are arranged in levels you find appealing and then tightened down. Hot glue is used to attach the greens and ribbon bows, and then lastly the ornaments of your choice are glued down and it is done. I used a pipe cleaner that I twisted to the back for hanging purposes. If you are bow challenged there are videos to take you step by step. Easy quick and results are better than expected. These Candy cane door decorations also make great Christmas gifts.

If you would like to watch a video by Damon Oates of “Deco Exchange” www.decoexchange.com/ unfortunately this project video is no longer posted at this time. But he has others you may be interested in. Below are some of my recommendations. Hope you find something that truly interests your creative energies and give it a try. I like the feeling of accomplishment that I learned something new and I did it. Happy Holidays and creating.

Deco Exchange

Southern Charm Wreaths

Kats creations777

09/10/201810/11/2018

Tomato cage milk jug Dracula

This is the time of the year that has always been my favorite season. The weather starts to cool down, and my ambition ramps up and the creative juices start to flow. I want to go thru my closets and reorganize and let go of the things I no longer use. The yard work that we have been putting off due to the heat, is finally getting done. Then we have my favorite, decorating for fall.

Because I have gotten such a great response from my past tomato cage projects, I have worked up a new fairly easy addition to the past years characters. “Dracula the tomato cage version. ” I still try to keep to my non scary or threatening Halloween tradition, so hope you will try this years entry.

Step 1- His head is made from a gallon plastic milk jug which was spray painted blue and then I hand painted his features in with acrylic paint bought at Walmarts’ craft department. For Dracula, the milk jug handle will be the back of the head, and the opposite side will actually be his nose. I do not have an actual pattern for this, it is done basically free hand. I did pencil sketch some features in to keep it balanced on both sides. He does have a turtle look to him, but it will improve when finished.

Step 2- The tomato cage is next and it will be used upside down with the prongs facing up. The size of tomato cages vary and I try to find the size that will suit the head . Some small cages are too short so I will use the next size for a better visual balance. These prongs will be gathered together and duct taped or wired up. This is where his milk jug head will later be placed and stabilized. If your prongs are to long you can try to either cut the excess off after taping or bend them down and out of the way. Try the head on first, before cutting prongs to short and the head will fall forward. I add more duct tape to thicken up the neck wire to keep the head steady. Do not attach the head now.

Step 3- The arms. I use a wire coat hanger with the top hook cut off. I then fold it in half to find center and wrap it twice around the top part of the taped/wired tomato cage. I also tape this to stabilize. I bend the coat hanger end back about two inches to form a sort of hand. You can form his arms in a direction of your choice, raised, one up. one down, crossed, you will be cover/dressing his arms now . I found a small size turtleneck white shirt at the thrift store and I worked the hanger wire through the sleeves and over the neck. You can now refine you arm placement as you like. Tape down the bottom of the shirt to the wire cage it keep it in place. I then used black fabric taped to complete the bottom . You can also staple the material together instead of taping. I have used both methods and they work equally well.

Step 4- The head placement. The head is simply slide over the prongs into place and taped to the tomato cage body. This is why the turtleneck shirt works to hide the taping.

Step 5- The cape and jabot(necktie). I purchased the cape for $1 at the dollar tree. I actually used two of them to have it appear fuller and the collar stands up better. Simply tie around the neck . I used a white wired ribbon to tie a bow, necktie around the turtleneck. A pendant may be added to dress up the look. I also added the red sash just to add more color to the outfit and also hide the separation from shirt to black bottom. At this point you are finished with your basic tomato cage Dracula. Anything goes, you can embellish your creation as you wish, have fun and a safe Halloween.

02/04/201803/21/2018

New Sunflower Wreath for Spring

After putting all the Christmas decor away for another season, I was looking for something bright and cheerful to replace the front door wreath. I came across this tutorial on how to make the sunflower wreath and decided, this one was the one I would try, “Hard Working Mom” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLQPYv6-ovA. There are many to choose from and they are all very explanatory, even giving you full list of things you will need to make. I highly recommend the youtube site and see if there is something you would like to make.

This sunflower wreath took me about two hours to complete and I was pleased with the final look for my spring overhaul. I wanted a slightly smaller wreath so I used the 5 1/2 inch burlap to keep it a manageable size on the door. Otherwise I followed the instruction on the tutorial which was pretty clear and understandable. I have use the deco mesh in the past on outside wreaths, but I have found that the color does not hold up to direct afternoon sun on my covered porch. That was why I choose the colored burlap instead. I hope you give the site a look and find something that you like and make this fun wreath.

12/03/201705/29/2018

Pumpkin Snowman

Now that the Christmas decorating season is upon us, all the fall decor has been tucked away or disposed. Some of my larger pumpkins were never carved and just used for a nice fall harvest effect and in perfect condition after months of use. The thought of just throwing them out made me look for a better alternative and so I decided to reuse them, but with a winter theme. My final simple solution was to make them snowmen. Everything I needed I had one hand so it was a free craft project as far as immediate cost outlay. I hope you like them and will give them a try, it adds a bit of whimsy to my outdoor decor.

First I selected the two pumpkins that would be best suited for a balanced effect. I used four 8″ dowel rods to attach the top pumpkin to the large bottom. If I did this again I think I would use a center large dowel rod the height of the combined pumpkins to secure the head to the body. The four dowel rods worked fine, but they tend to slide down into the body and I did angle them so they would not just slip into the cavity of the pumpkin and be of no use for securing them permanently. The central rod would probably be the best choice.

Next I use a white Krylon spray paint in a white gloss finish to paint the entire head and body of the pumpkins. After a few hours of drying time, I found a old derby hat that fit the head of the now snowman snuggly, I did this to see where I will have to start the placement of the face. Another option could be a large stocking hat or earmuffs would work great. I found some different selections of facial features for a pattern on Pinterest and just copied the one I liked best onto my snowman. I used a permanent fabric paint I had on hand to paint the eyes nose and mouth. I also painted on the 3 buttons on the front. You could also glue on real buttons or pom poms if you choose, all would work well for this. Lastly I found some branches in the yard that I used for arms. Ribbon was used for his hat band and tied around his neck. I had first put a scarf around his neck which I really liked, but we get a lot of rain this time of the year and the waterproof ribbon would be a better choice for my location. A sprig of fabric holly was set into the hatband and the snowman project was finished. This is a fairly simple and fast project I hope you will try.

Merry Christmas!

09/05/201705/30/2018

Tomato Cage Scarecrow Couple

The best part of the fall is the decorating season lasts from September to November which is considerable longer than most of the other seasons. I love the fall mums and pumpkins of assorted colors, and the changing of the color of the leaves and cooler nights. Harvesting of the gardens are slowing down and summers finest flowers are fading fast.

For the past four years or more I have been creating new decorative characters out of tomato cages. I have used them for porch decorations and to adorn my brick pillar lights at the end of my driveway. This year I was running out of original ideas so I got to work trying out different things that might work. After many failures I decided that my choice for this year is my pair of scarecrows. The hardest part of the planning stage for me is trying to get the part you want to light up in the right place for the scarecrow. Also the fact they are going to be exposed to the weather and wind has to be taken into consideration in the plans.

I started with smaller tomato cages placed upside down so widest part is at the bottom and the prongs are on the top. I than bend the prongs over to the make a flat top. They could be cut off also if need be. Mine fit tightly over the light fixtures we have but they needed to have a taller base to sit on to accommadate the light bases. This is were I had to use creative ideas for something that can be worked around the light bases. For my idea I found the oval foil turkey pans would work because I could cut them easily and fit them around the light stem. I still had a few inches that I needed to fill so I used a pool noodle that will become the arms of the scarecrow. Burlap was my choice for the face /bottom section of the scarecrow. I used old flannel shirts that I cut up to use for the covering of the base foil pans. I used duck tape to tape it down and it keep it securely in place. The sleeves of the flannel shirt are used to slide the pool noodle through and a dowel rod is slid in the hole in the pool noodle to keep it together and in a good oval shape that will rest on top of the covered foil pan. I had two hula skirts that I used for the hair ( raffia would also work just as well and it is available in most craft departments). I used assorted ribbons and floral pieces to decorate the finished product . I painted the face on with a fabric paint. It needed a heavy coat so that when the light shone through the face the features could still be seen. I have posted some photos that may be helpful . This is a more involved project compared to my other tomato cage characters, but the planning time and effort have paid off in the enjoyment of creating them. I hope you will enjoy them . Happy Fall !

The hat was made out of felt from a pattern I found on Pinterest. http://www.wherethesmileshavebeen.com/diy-scarecrow-costume/

09/08/201605/26/2018

Milk Carton Tomato Cage Witch Craft: its Bewitched with Cuteness

Milk carton tomato cage witch: I was very pleased with this new tomato cage craft project for the fall. I wanted to create a new tomato cage Halloween character this year. My new milk carton tomato cage witch is part of my growing collection of tomato cage projects. I found a picture of a witch windsock a couple weeks ago and it stirred my imagination to come up with this not so scary milk carton tomato cage witch. Continue reading “Milk Carton Tomato Cage Witch Craft: its Bewitched with Cuteness”

09/07/201505/26/2018

Deco Mesh Pumpkin Decor: DIY Project Using Wire Plant Hangers

My Deco Mesh Pumpkin DIY project recycles my summer wire baskets. This DIY autumn pumpkin decor is easy and inexpensive to do.

Since moving south and enjoying the extended spring and fall seasons has truly been an added bonus. The time to decorated for fall is upon us, and being able to enjoy fall themed decoration from September till we switch them out in late November for Christmas makes it really fun.

Deco Mesh Pumpkin Materials:

One roll of 10 yards (21 inch mesh) should be enough to make this deco mesh pumpkin.
Two round wire hanging planter baskets (available at the Dollar Store, Big Lots).
4-6 pipe cleaners/ chenille stems or a rubber band (available at the Dollar Store).
Paper covered floral wire/ grapevine wire/ natural bind wire.
Wired burlap ribbon.

Deco Mesh Pumpkin How to:

I started with two old wired baskets that I kwik tied together to create a pumpkin shape. See the image below as an example.
Then I used pipe cleaners, which are also called chenille stems to band together the tubes of deco mesh on both the top and bottom.
These pipe cleaners connect the 18 tubes of Deco Mesh as instructed on the video tutorial.

I bought the deco mesh at the local Walmart. I also bought some wire curls, burlap ribbon for leaves and fall floral picks to decorate the top. To create the stem, I cut a large brown paper bag in half and twisted by hand as tight as I could and stuck it in the top hole and it was done.

Here is a nice video from Trendy Tree on how to make the Deco Mesh Pumpkin Project:

The local produce stands and home centers are showing great looking mums and other fall plants , pumpkins and gourds in all sizes and shapes. I like to wait on getting the pumpkins till later, so they will not rot or mold before Halloween. I have been collecting over the year a variety of artificial pumpkins and gourds that help fill in spots and crevices. I also have my eye on an old wheelbarrow wagon at the local resale shop I am hoping to pick up if the price isn’t out of my reach.

You can get more ideas from my Pinterest boards

https://www.pinterest.com/chrisjroman/

“Happy Fall!”

07/08/201506/26/2016

Sunflower Wreath DIY with Burlap Ribbon for Summer

My sunflower wreath DIY themed door hanger turned out better than I imagined.

I have always had a love of sunflowers. They are like the true sign of summer and just seem to make you smile. I have grown sunflowers that were as big as your head and some as small as golf balls.

So with the passing of the fourth of July and weather steaming up, I felt the time was right to decorate my front door with my beloved sunflowers.

How to Make a Sunflower Wreath DIY Project

The biggest cost to this wreath was the purchase of the oval-shaped grapevine base. It measures approximately 19″ long by 16″wide. The price was $4.99 but was on sale at Hobby Lobby so I only payed $3.50 and was thrilled with this find.

My next purchase was at the Dollar Tree where I bought 4 sunflower bunches for $1 dollar each. I also picked up a few other spikes at the same price to add some symmetry to the design. These bunches I actually just slide into the stick base and they held beautifully.

Next and finally I added the wired burlap ribbon that I already had on hand, so my total was approximately $12 for the completed wreath.

It looks great on my front door, which is under a covered porch. I do get a lot of afternoon direct sunlight on that door , that is one reason why I prefer to attach my floral stems into the base rather than hot glue them due to the melting of the glue because of the sun.

Total time spent was about 20 minutes and little jute tie on the back for hanging and the job was complete. I hope you try one of these with your own favorite flowers, just sit back and enjoy the comments and compliments that you will receive.

For more ideas visit my wreath board on Pinterest

https://www.pinterest.com/chrisjroman/wreaths/