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Clay Pot Crafts:  Make a Bell for the Porch

Clay pot crafts are a cute way to make home decorations.  In clay pot crafts, clay flower pots can be crafted into a variety of decorative things that appeal to gardeners.  Usually, the crafter begins with new pots.  The pots are often decorated with paint as well as being tied together with rope or cord to create things.

Pots for clay pot crafts can be purchased in many different sizes, from tiny ones not more than 2 inches in diameter, to huge ones over a foot across.  For a beginning project, start with smaller pots.  The beginner should also choose clay pot crafts that don’t use too many pots in too elaborate a design.

An example of a good craft for someone new at clay pot crafts is to make a bell from two clay pots.  Buy one pot that is about five or six inches in diameter, and another that is very small.  You will use the small one as the clapper for the bell.  You will also need some decorative cord, two large wooden beads, and paint in desired colors.  You may also wish to purchase some glue-on jewels to decorate the bell.  The bell makes a nice decoration for a front porch.

Cut the cord two feet (60 cm.) long.  Fold the end over 3 inches (8 cm.) and tie in an overhand knot, making a loop.  This loop is for hanging the bell from a hook or a nail.  Now turn the larger clay pot upside-down.  Pass the loose end of the cord down through the hole in the pot.  Lay the pot on its side and slide one of the large wooden beads up the cord until it is about 10 inches (25 cm.) from the loose end.

Now tie the cord around the bead so that the bead cannot slip from its position on the cord.  If you have done this correctly, you can lift the pot by the loop.  In clay pot crafts, the beads must be large enough to stop the cord from going through the hole in the bottom of the pot.

On the loose end of the cord, you are going to attach the small pot in the same way.  Slide the small pot up the cord to make it easier to tie the other large wooden bead on the end of the cord.  Now when you lift the entire arrangement by the loop, the smaller pot should hang freely inside the larger pot, making a pleasant sound when it claps against the larger pot.

Decorate the outside of the larger pot with paint as desired.  You may like to paint it in black and white patches for a Holstein cow theme.  You may also like to decorate the top of the bell with silk or dried flowers and greenery and a ribbon bow.

For a variation on this craft, make three of the bells and hang them from a horizontal piece of driftwood or other interesting piece of natural wood.  When making hanging clay pot crafts, always make sure the beads are large enough and are tied tightly in place, because the clay pots will break if they fall to the ground.

Other clay pot crafts include making a large doll or scarecrow of nested pots strung together and painted.  The doll can sit on a chair or a step of the front porch.  Paint his face to look like a scarecrow, a jack-o-lantern, a gnome, or a child.  Clay pot crafts are especially suited to being displayed outside.

Making homemade soap is a popular craft and a great business opportunity. But soap is not supposed to be hard to make? Not anymore! You can make your own soap at home easily with the melt and pour technique.

The only things you will need to buy are: a melt and pour soap base, a fragrance or essential oil and soap dye (you can also use food coloring). You may also wish to buy some plastic molds, but it is possible to find others things that work as a mold around your house, like old yogurt containers or jello molds. You only need to make sure that the container you choose as a mold is flexible enough so you can remove the soap when it hardens.

You can find the other things you need in your kitchen: a knife to cut the soap base, a wooden spoon to mix your soap, and a double boiler (or a bowl if you wish to use your microwave to melt the soap base).

First, you need to cut your soap base into 1/2″ chunks. You can make any amount of soap you wish, it only depends on the size of your bowl or double boiler and on the number of molds your have.

After, if you use a double boiler, put your soap base in the top pan. Heat very slowly and stir gently to avoid causing bubbles. Do not allow the soap to boil, it may get a yellowish color and eventually burn.

If you use your microwave, put the soap chunks in a bowl. Heat at 20-30 seconds intervals, stirring gently between each interval. You can cover the top of your bowl with saran wrap to avoid spills.

Once all the soap base is melted and have a smooth texture, add the fragrance or essential oil and the dye, stirring slowly once again until everything s well mixed. You only need about .5 oz of each additive by pound of soap (except for food coloring, you only need a few drop in that case). Your best bet for more information would be the label of those products, if any instructions are included.

Then, you can start to pour your soap into the molds. Pour slowly to make sure you do not make bubbles. If you notice any after you are done pouring, spray the top of the soap with rubbing alcohol, which eliminates most of the bubbles without damaging your soap.

Set your molds to the side and let them cool. Once they have cooled a bit, place them in the fridge for about half an hour, it’ll be easier to remove them from their mold if they cool that way.

Finally, you can now remove your soaps from their mold. Place them on a rack and allow it to finish drying for about 24 hours.

After that, the only limit is your imagination. You can put them in cello bags or shrink wrap to sell them, give them away as gift or, why not, use them for yourself! Just make sure you wrap them at least in saran wrap to preserve the fragrance.

Cute Wooden Handicraft:  Make a String of Hearts

Everyone loves heart-shaped decorations.  This cute wooden handicraft can be hung over a doorway or as part of a wall display.  Paint the hearts red, pink, and white, and you will have a decoration for Valentines’ Day.  Paint them red and green for Christmas, or red, white, and blue to display love for America.  You can leave it plain for a natural look.  The string of hearts wooden handicraft fits well with country style furnishings.

To make the string of hearts, you will need 5 wooden heart cut-outs approximately three inches wide, a drill with an eighth inch bit and a quarter inch bit, a small amount of raffia, two yards of 1 -1/2 inch wide soft ribbon, two large wooden beads, and acrylic paints in the colors you want.  The ribbon and the beads should match the color sceme you desire.  Plaid ribbons are particularly effective.  The string of hearts has five hearts side by side tied together with small raffia bows.  The first and last hearts have the wide ribbon strung through a hole on each side and a bead strung on the ribbon.  The ribbon is knotted at the very ends, making a loop of ribbon on each end which can fit over a nail for hanging.

The first step in making the wooden handicraft is to drill a small hole on each side of the hearts.   The two outside holes are made with the quarter inch bit, and the other holes are made with the 1/8 inch bit.  Now paint the hearts with the acrylic paint in the colors you desire.  Acrylic paints are the small bottles of craft paint that are sold in 2-ounce bottles in a wide variety of colors.  They can sometimes be purchased very inexpensively.  Tempera paint will work if you can’t get acrylic paints.  Another idea is to spray paint them, especially if you want to use a metallic color.

When the paint is dry, tie the hearts together with the raffia.  To do this, cut four 10-inch lengths of raffia.  Thread the raffia down into one hole and up through the hole on the next heart so that they lay side by side.  The raffia should be tied in a neat bow on the top of the arrangement.  Do the same between the rest of the hearts so that all the small raffia bows are on top.  Trim the raffia ends if necessary.

Through each of the outside holes, thread one of the ribbons.  Pull the ribbon through until the ends are even.  Thread the large bead over both ends and slip it up close to the heart.  Trim the ends of the ribbon decoratively and knot them.  Repeat the process on the other side to complete the wooden handicraft.  Now hang the string of hearts wherever desired for a cheerful decoration.  A wooden handicraft like this makes a nice gift for someone special.

Craft Idea for a Group:  Make a Mural

Most craft ideas are geared to individuals, whether kids or adults.  Sometimes you’d like to have a craft idea that works for a group of kids working together.  Making a mural together is an idea that works for a group.  By working together, you are creating something to decorate a shared area.

Individual crafts can be displayed, but one unique item is often more effective than a group of items that are almost identical.  In addition, sometimes kids’ crafts, like it or not, just become clutter when they are taken home, and it isn’t long before Mom throws it out.  This craft idea of making a group mural can be displayed for several weeks and will not become clutter in anyone’s home.

The basic materials for a kids’ group mural is freezer paper.  Freezer paper is about 18 inches wide, and it is very tough.  One side is plastic coated.  That is the side that is designed to be placed against the food.  You will have better luck drawing on and gluing things onto the other side.

Class or group murals can feature a number of different design elements.  You can mix up some finger paint and let the children make hand prints (or even foot prints!) on the paper.  You can let them scour old cast-off magazines and color catalogs for pictures they like and let them cut the pictures out and glue them on.  They can add scribbles, designs, signatures, slogans, or pictures using markers, crayons, or gel pens.  They can attach stickers to the mural as well.  This craft idea is very flexible!

For making the mural, choose a topic that relates to the group in some way.  If the group are girl scouts, for instance, and have been learning to camp, the mural can feature pictures of items related to camping.  If you’ve been learning about dinosaurs, you can use them as a theme.  If you want a really messy project that makes a cute mural for fall, mix up finger paint in fall colors.

The children can each make a tree by first laying their forearm in brown paint.  Then they lay their arm on the paper to make the trunk of the tree.  They should spread out their fingers so their arm print has five short branches at the top.  To make the leaves, the children make fingerprints all around the top of the tree using paints in other fall colors.  If you add a few drops of dishwashing detergent to finger paint when mixing it up, it will be easier to clean off the children’s arms.  Do make sure they have old clothes or smocks for this craft idea.

Little preschoolers will like making a mural with an animal theme.  You should probably find and cut out animal magazine pictures to start with, and then let the children choose the ones they like for gluing down.  Glue sticks are neat to use with small children.  They will paste some of the pictures upside down.  Expect it and do not scold them.  It is the process that is important in this craft idea.

The children can also use animal cookie cutters dipped in finger paint to stamp animals on the mural, too.  You may need to tape the paper to the table so it doesn’t slide around while the children work.

An elaborate form of this craft idea that adults often make is a quilt around a theme.  Each person in the group creates a quilt square to represent some aspect of what the group stands for.  These quilt squares can be colored with fabric pens or crafted of patchwork or applique.  Again, the craft idea is to build group solidarity and not to highlight one artist’s skills over another.

When the quilt top is completed, it can be a group project to tie it or quilt it.  It can be hung in a special central location or given to an appreciated leader or member.

Butterfly candle holders are easy to make and a great gift idea. The materials are very inexpensive, and you can use your imagination for a variety of designs. To get started, you will need:

Materials:
- Small glass candle holders
- Butterfly wrapping paper
- Yellow tissue paper
- Decoupage
- Cuticle scissors
- Small paintbrush
- Damp paper towel

You can buy whatever glass candle holders you like (or use some you already have laying around). I bought mine at Wal-mart for about $0.59. You could also find them at thrift stores or yard sales. I chose butterflies for my design, but you could choose whatever design you’d like–maybe keeping in mind the tastes of the person you’re making them for. You can cut out pictures from anywhere, including calendars, greeting cards, magazines. Thin paper decoupages best.

After you have some pictures in mind, use cuticle scissors (the kind you cut your fingernails with) to cut out the pictures. These scissors work best on small pictures and cut rounder corners than regular scissors. If you’re not going to use the pictures right away, store them in ziploc bags.

You can buy decoupage at any craft store. It is normally found with the glue. It allows you to permanently affix a picture to another object, giving the object an overall glossy effect. Make sure the glass you’re working with is clean. Tear a piece of tissue paper into small (approx. 1 inch) pieces. Using the paint brush, brush some decoupage on to the back of one of the pieces of tissue paper.

Position the tissue paper on the glass and then brush some more decoupage on top of it. Continue gluing on pieces of tissue paper, overlapping at the edges, until the entire candle holder is covered (including the bottom–set the candle holder on its top to dry). Brush one last coat of decoupage over the entire candle holder. Use damp paper towel to wipe off any excess decoupage.

After the decoupage has dried for about an hour (or more), position the butterflies (or other pictures) on top of the tissue paper. First brush some decoupage on the backs of the pictures and place them on the glass.

Brush another coat of decoupage over the entire glass and set the candle holder on its top to dry again. After the decoupage has dried, add 2 or 3 more coats of decoupage after each coat has dried.

That’s it! These candle holders are only limited by your imagination. Use different colors of tissue paper and a variety of pictures for different themes. You could make these with holiday themes, like for Christmas or Easter. They also make great birthday presents, hostess gifts, or party favors. They are very easy to make and you can make several of them at one time.

If you’ve always wanted to try making candles but don’t want to invest in expensive materials, here is an inexpensive way to get started.

Materials:
- 1 wax carton (quart) (milk, fabric softener, or orange juice)
- 1 pound of paraffin wax
- 4 or 5 old crayons
- two trays of ice cubes
- a double boiler (or an empty coffee can and a saucepan)
- 1 piece of ordinary white package string about six inches long.

Caution: Do not heat paraffin directly over the burner. Paraffin is easily combustible. Use a double boiler or a two-pound coffee can set in a pan of water. I put the coffee can on top of home canning jar rings (the rings, not the flat lids). If the can is not set on top of something, the concave bottom creates a vacuum when the water begins to heat up, plus if it’s on the bottom of the pan, it’s just that much closer to the burner.

Trim the top part of the carton off so that what remains is about six inches high. Cut the string so that it is six inches long. (To make a wick that lasts longer, try braiding three pieces of string together. Melt the paraffin wax over medium heat in a double boiler or a coffee can in a pan of water. Use three-quarters of a pound for a somewhat smaller candle or use all four squares for a larger candle. Once the water begins to boil, it will take 10 or 15 minutes for the paraffin to melt.

Break the crayons into small pieces and add to the paraffin. If the crayons are added first before the wax is melted, the color makes it difficult to see if all of the paraffin is liquefied. Use a pair of tongs (a scissors works, too), and dip the string into the paraffin. Dipping the string will ensure that it is coated with paraffin since the ice cubes may prevent some sections from coming in contact with the liquid wax.

Hold the string so that it is in the middle of the carton and fill the carton with ice cubes. Pour the hot paraffin over the ice cubes. The candle will be set in about 30 minutes.

Let the candle stand for another hour or two until most of the ice cubes are melted. Pour off the water. Peel off the carton. Place the candle in a tray or on a plate to catch the rest of the water from the ice cubes as they finish melting. Let the candle dry for a day or two.

The candles I have made with a single piece of string only burn for an hour or so and burn quickly enough so that most of the paraffin remains intact. To use the paraffin again, melt the candle and pour the wax into other containers to make solid candles.

Solid Candles
To make solid candles, select several glass containers. Pint or half-pint canning or jelly jars work
well. For the wick, measure out a few more inches of string than is needed to reach the bottom of
the container.

Tie the string around a pencil. Put the pencil across the top of the container to hold the wick in
place. When the paraffin and crayons are melted, pour the liquid wax into the container(s). When
the candle is set, snip off the wick about a half inch above the wax.

Scented Candles
To make scented candles, put three or four teaspoons of vanilla extract into the bottom of the
double boiler (or the coffee can) and then add the paraffin and crayons. When the wax is melted,
pour into containers. cubes.

Alphabet blocks with just one letter on each block are a great toy to have for your preschool child. You’ll find she can learn a great deal through playing with them, especially with you. Not only can she become the architect of great buildings, roads or skyscrapers (which are fun to knock down), but building can also help budding coordination skills.

When you work with your child, ask her to hand you blocks by using the name of the letter on them. As she picks up blocks, ask her to tell you the name of each block, also.

How to make it:
Before beginning to build, help put the blocks into sequence in a long row beginning with Aa. Then say or sing the ABC song 2 or 3 times as you touch each one. This will help her to learn to recognize each letter as she plays with the blocks. You can also talk about the shapes of each letter. Point out those lower case letters that have tails that hang down or tall sticks that reach up.

Don’t forget to talk about the sizes of the boxes as you play. This will help increase your child’s vocabulary as you choose big, little, middle size, bigger, smaller, large, tiny, etc. blocks. Once she knows the letter’s names and sounds, you can begin to spell out simple words placing the boxes next to each other in what can be humorous configurations.

Materials Needed:
- 26 boxes with tops. Any size will work–all the same or different sizes
- White wrapping paper (not tissue) or newsprint paper
- White glue

Activity Steps:
1. Cut the paper to the right size to cover each box.
2. Spread glue on the edges of the box so the paper will stick smoothly to all sides as you wrap the box.
3. Print an alphabet letter, either capital or lower case or both, on the boxes.
4. Let kids build with their new alphabet blocks.

This one is a little late for the holidays, but it’s never too early to your start crafting for next year.

If you have access to some small wood scraps, or perhaps a board you can cut up, you can make these cute little additions to your winter and holiday shelves. But wait, don’t stop there! The creative possibilities of this craft are endless.

You will need
- wood scraps in various sizes and shapes
- sandpaper
- acrylic paint in white, black, and orange
- brown antiquing stain
- material scraps
- children’s socks
- ribbon
- raffia
- buttons
- white craft glue
- small and large paintbrushes
- dry rag

Sanding & Painting
Begin by sanding any rough edges from the wood to avoid painful splinters. Paint wood white on all sides and at one end (the other end will be covered with a hat). Allow paint to dry, then apply a second coat and allow that to dry as well.

Leaving enough room at the top of the “head” for the hat’s brim, paint on face by dotting on two black eyes and black dots for the mouth. Using a small, fine paintbrush, paint on an orange nose. Allow to dry completely or the antiquing you do below will smear your hard work!

Prepare Your Embellishments
While waiting for the paint to dry, choose and trim your embellishments. Use tea dyed socks and gingham prints for the antiqued snowmen, use traditional primary colors, or the popular ice blue, for your white snowmen.

Fringe the ends of your scarves with sharp fabric scissors, string small pieces of raffia through buttonholes and tie in knots or bows, cut small scraps for patches, trim the feet off of children’s socks and fringe ankle ends for hats.

The Antique Look
This step is optional. Some of ours are antiqued, some are not. When the paint has dried completely, brush on a layer of brown antiquing stain, ensuring that all cracks and crevices are filled. Immediately wipe off with a dry rag. This will create an antiqued look. Notice how the brown stain remains darker inside the little cracks and crevices giving it an aged look. Allow the stain to dry.

Finishing Touches
Tie scarf around neck, reinforce it with a bit of craft glue. Place the cuff of the children’s sock on the snowman’s head (the end that is not painted!), glue brim in place. Trim the “top” of the hat but cutting it in a fringe fashion. Tie a ribbon or piece of raffia around the fringed top and tighten. Fluff up the fringe by pulling and adjusting the fringes with your fingers. Add buttons to hat and/or body, you can also glue a small patch on the hat brim. You may also use material scraps to fashion a hat and glue a pom pom on the top.

I just love creative art ideas for children! I am always on the lookout for fun ideas, and just ask my kids, we are always experimenting to find new ways to use everyday items! Here is an inexpensive art project that offers sensational results!

Materials:
- Liquid Starch
- Large Flat Paintbrush
- Construction Paper
- Water
- Colored Chalk

Procedure:
1. Using newspaper, cover your workspace.
2. In a small plastic container, mix equal amounts of starch and water.
3. Give child a piece of construction paper and a paint brush.
4. Have child dip the paintbrush into the starch and brush it onto the construction paper.
5. Then using the chalk, the child can draw a design onto the wet construction paper. Remember, let your child create whatever their heart desires!
6. When the project dries, the starch acts as a fixative and won’t rub off. This method creates beautiful art — which definitely deserves the best spot on the refrigerator door!

Do you remember the last time you were in someone’s home that had an apple pie baking in the oven? Ahhh, the aromas of a fresh baked pie — it is simply irresistible! Well, now you can recreate this delicious scent in your own home, or in the homes of your loved ones, by making dried cinnamon scented apple crafts.

None of them are hard to make and results are wonderful! Hang one of these on your wall and you will surely impress all of your guests.

For each apple craft, you will need:
- Juice of approximately 8-10 lemons
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 to 10 large firm apples
- 8 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 8″ - 10″ sturdy, heavy gauge wire (for a wreath)
- Jute (for garland or apple stacker)
- 1 to 1 1/2 yards of ribbon or fabric scraps

To prepare and dry your apples:

1. Place lemon juice in a large bowl, and stir in salt.
2. Peel, core, and slice apples horizontally into 1/4″ thick circles.
3. Soak slices in lemon juice bowl for approximately 6-10 minutes, making sure each side of the slices has a chance to absorb some of the lemon juice.
4. Meanwhile, mix spices in a bowl and blend well.
5. Remove the slices from the bowl and place them on paper towels. Pat tops of apple slices with paper towels.
6. Dust apples slices with spice mixture. Turn slices over and repeat on opposite side.
7. Place apples slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 150-200 degrees F for 6 hours or until completely dried. Apple slices should be slightly pliable.

To Create An Apple Wreath:
1. Fold each apple slice in half, and then into quarters and thread the apples slices onto the wire. Continue to pack on the folded apples until the wire is completely filled.
2. When the wire is completely covered, use pliers to bend ends into hooks so that they can connect and close. Carefully shape wire into desired shape. I recommend either a circle or heart shape.
3. Using your ribbon or fabric scraps, create a hanger for your wreath.
4. Hang on your wall, or package as a gift for someone special.

To Create An Apple Garland:
1. Cut of enough jute for your desired length of garland - remember, your apple garland shouldn’t be too long, but approximately 2-4 works well. Also, it is always better to have too much, than not enough.
2. Start stringing on apple slices. Push one end of jute through the middle of each apple slice.
3. Consider alternating several apple slices and then a piece of tied on fabric strip.
4. Hang on your wall!

To Create An Apple Stacker:
1. Using an approximate 12″ piece of jute, tie one end to about three cinnamon sticks that are laid in a bundle.
2. Being to string on apple slices by pushing jute through the center of each slice. Consider alternating several slices with a piece of fabric tied on.
3. When apple stacker is the desired length, end with three more cinnamon sticks in a bundle and tie a loop so that you can hang your apple stacker proudly!