Make a Valentine Cake! This one is Red Velvet.

Hot glue on some foam shapes to a heart-shaped wreath.

Make faux flower vases out of an oatmeal can or olive oil tin. Use doilies, tissue paper, lace and cutouts from old greeting cards.

My daughter, Rachel is not home from college yet for Christmas break, but her pal, Molly Rubin stopped by to make Christmas earrings with me. Molly is a college art student, and a pleasure to craft with! We cut green corrugated cardboard, I found in my stash, into different sized rounds and stacked them with beads. It was so simple, and I’ve been getting a lot of compliments when I wear them.

This is a blast to make. You are limited only by your imagination! You can make a bunch for gifts too.

Materials

• 8 oz. plastic white cup
• 2 inch wood turning knob head
• White craft paint and paint brush
• Large square of white felt for covering cup
• other felt in colors of your choice (I used scraps of wool felt but you can use craft felt too)
• Large craft pom pom in color of your choice for top of hat
• 2 small black pom poms for eyes
• Small Merry Christmas or Season’s Greetings sign (find in mini ornament section of craft store)
• One red and white pipe cleaner
• 2 small buttons in your color of choice
• 1 orange crayon with flat button still in tact
• Tacky craft glue
• Needle and thread

Directions

Take a white plastic drinking cup

Turn it upside down. Wrap it with white felt, glue into place and cut and glue a round to cover the bottom.

Paint wood knob head white. You will need 2 or 3 coats.

Cut a strip of felt about 2 inches wide and 8 inches long for hat. Start rolling it to fit around the wood head.

Bunch up top of roll and sew together with a few stitches to make top of hat.

Trim off excess felt and glue seam down

Place wire holder from sign over top of upside down cup.

Glue head on to top of cup. Placement of head keeps sign holder in place.

Cut 2 small mittens out of felt and glue onto sides of cup.

Glue hat onto head.

Cut thin strip of contrasting felt for hat rim, length of the base of the hat.

Glue trim on hat and glue pom pom on top of hat.

Cut a 1/2 inch wide by 1 foot long scarf out of felt. Cut fringe on ends.

Secure scarf into place by tying a small strip of felt to the neck of the scarf.

Carve a carrot shaped nose out of the bottom section of the crayon and glue flat end into place on head.

Glue tiny black pom pom eyes onto face.

Cut the pipe cleaner the length of the base of the cup and glue into place. You made need to use a clip to hold the ends of the pipe cleaner in place while it dries.

Enjoy Your Snowman!

This project is a lot of fun, and you can really get creative.My daughter and I are avid collectors of tiny Christmas ornaments and crafts pieces you get at the craft store in bulk packages. We have so many, it is crazy! We keep them all organized in a nuts and bolts cabinet from the hardware store with many small drawers. We used to buy these after Christmas, when they are ridiculously cheap and on clearance. As for the unfinished shadow boxes, you may have to order them online. Just Google “Unfinished Shadow Boxes.” You can buy them in bulk to make several or use extras for other craft projects.

WARNING! You will need a hot glue gun for this project, but know that children need close supervision with hot glue guns!!!! Both my daughter and I have burned our fingers on hot glue guns, and it is painful! Do not use a high heat glue gun, unless you enjoy the possibility of even hotter burns!

Supplies You Can Use (Do not have to use all)

• Unfinished Shadow Box
• Acrylic craft paint
• Glitter
• Craft Glue
• Hot Glue
• Old Christmas Cards
• Magazine Cut outs
• Decorative Papers
• Tiny Christmas Ornaments, trees, baubles and more
• Felt balls
• Bows
• Any Small Christmas Decoration You Like
• Batting for snow
• Acorn Tops (for roof of box if you wish)

Directions

• Paint your box any color(s) you wish.
• Either paint the separate inside sections of the box, cut out Christmas cards or use decorative paper to cover each square as you wish with craft glue. Don’t forget to paint or decorate the trim on the box.
• If you wish, you can pick a theme for your shadow box, such as snowmen, Santas, religious scenes, trees, etc. Or you can mix it up.
• Start decorating each section of your shadow box with batting on the floors for snow.
• Then start gluing ornaments where you want them with hot glue. You can hang some from the top of each section too, like snowflakes. Be patient letting each piece dry. Hot glue dries fairly quickly. Work from the back of  each section forward so you don’t have to reach behind a glued item and possibly knock it off.
• If you want to, you can glue something on the roof of the shadow box, like acorn hats, glitter, felt balls, a sleigh, etc.
• The sky is the limit here! Have fun. Make them as gifts. They look fabulous on fireplace mantles. I’ve used ours to decorate buffet tables at Christmas parties.

I made some more Christmas ornaments and wanted to share a discovery I made with you. After you drain the paint out of your ornaments, you can scoop up that excess paint and pour into a new glass ornament for a fantastic, mottled effect! Check this out!

See all the paint that drained out, making interesting patterns?

Don’t waste it! Put it in with a plastic spoon for a fantastic effect!

This is an easy and fun project, and the results are beautiful!

Supplies

• Clear glass ball ornaments (Craft store)
• Acrylic craft paint sold in bottles in Christmas colors and metallic colors
• Newspaper
• Throw away plate or pan for draining paint

Take the metal top off the ornament. Squeeze some paint inside and swirl around. Add different colors to get the effect you like. Don’t over swirl or you’ll mix the colors too much. and they will look brown.When you’ve covered the inside with paint, you need to drain the excess by turning the ball upside down on newspaper. It is best if you can rig a way to prop the ball and leave it until it drains and dries all the way. This may take hours. When it’s dry, replace the metal top and hang it from the tree. You can add bows or ribbons if you want to dress it up.

Here’s a fun and easy craft to do with your kids for Thanksgiving

• Brown paper lunch bag
• 1 sheet newspaper
• Fall colors card stock
• Google eyes
• Stapler
• Glue
• Scissors

Crumple newspaper loosely and stuff inside bag. Fold top over twice and staple closed. Cut 5 large and 3 medium sized feathers out of the card stock. Glue them on the back of the bag. Cut out turkey head in a keyhole shape. Glue to the front of the bag. Glue on eyes. Cut triangle for beak and squiggly shape for the turkey wattle. Add glue to top of beak and fold up the bottom so it is 3D. Glue on wattle. Cut and add Thanksgiving sign with glue.

Here’smMine with 3 different levels of light….

I made the quilt from fabrics I purchased online from France and some from the USA.

9 large patchwork squares made from 9 different fabrics

Added some trimming to the sheets and pillows for a  custom finished look.

Valances on the windows to tie it all together.

Close-up of box-pleated valance.

My daughter, Rachel and friend, Ben decided to design, build and paint their own bird house, complete with a swmming pool, before leaving for college. I think you’ll be impressed with this house. I’ll be securing it in the tree eagerly awaiting to see who moves in!