Yearly Archives: 2013

Thirty Days of Thanks # 26

Leaf Charms
Getting outside is always a good idea, using nature in a craft project makes it even better.
I found this idea on Better Homes and Gardens site. So simple yet alluring.
Head outside and gather leaves to turn into charms for guest glasses on Thanksgiving.
You will need leaves, a whole punch, string or ribbon, and a sharpie to create expressions or names for your leaf collection. Gather, punch, tie, and write-that’s it!

Thirty Days of Thanks # 25

Thankful Candle

Try this quickie DIY creation to illuminate your thankfulness.
Using your computer for this craft gets the job done in just a few minutes!
Type your sentiment using your favorite font and color, setting it in the center of the page ( I set this font at 95 to get it the right legibility) then hit print!
Trim the upper and lower sections of paper away so you have a band with words to wrap around a glass jar, vase or even drinking glass and tape in place. You are ready for a votive, there’s sure to be one laying around the house somewhere.
Now light!
Pretty huh.

 

Thirty Days of Thanks # 24

Paper Tepee’s
Craft your version of these native homes I spotted on Pinterest. I love the idea of connecting with some of the kinds of homesteads that were endogenous to our lands so long ago. It is a great way to link ourselves with the history of some of the indian cultures that are so relevant to the Thanksgiving story.

To make yours, grab any size and color of paper ( paper grocery bags work great ), scissors, tape, twigs from outside and markers or paint.
Take the paper and fold it from one corner to create a funnel and tape in position, then cut from the wide end to get your desired tepee height. Place the found sticks inside in to poke though the top and tape in position. Now your are ready to draw or paint your scene, making it especially your own. A table with several tepees strewn down it center would make a colorful centerpiece on any thanksgiving table.

Material of the Week 11/25-12/1

Scarves! We have a neat selection of vibrantly patterned scarves to choose from. Good things are in store!

Cardboard Rolls

What a weekly wow!
Julian got a great idea when he dug through the cardboard rolls bin the other day.
As he riffled through, he envisioned a train when he put a few rolls together.
I love the spontaneity of open-ended creating and how inspiration is the guide. For Julian and for all of us in this process, it is about unfolding ideas. There is a magic in what is to come. I think he was quite proud of what he had envisioned and put together. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took it down an imaginary track on the drive home.

Train
Julian
5 1/2 yrs

Thirty Days of Thanks # 23

Give Thanks
I had fun making a few simple flag tags to attach to anything that befit a thankful message. Try making a few for your home, you never know, they may just stay up all year.

Grab some plain paper, cut a few one inch strips in either direction, then shorten to about 3″ so you have a 1″x 3″ rectangle. At one end cut away a small triangle so  you have two points. Write your “Give Thanks” statement in pen, pencil or marker and fix to a candle, pumpkin stem, garland, or other surface asking for a kind reminder. Using tape and the wire from a twist tie (you may have laying around the house) fastened to the flat end of the message will make this kind of tagging easy to do.

Have fun!

Thirty Days of Thanks # 22

A good sentiment…

Sometimes in our creative ventures we need a muse. A statement is a great resource for this.
I found this one on mochadad.com. I think it speaks volumes.
Today, go old school, grab a plain piece of paper and write this sentiment ten times in a row! It will change your mind. Then, for crafty fun, get out the markers and pizzaz with color and doodles. Lastly, display your creation in a popular hub of the house to remind everyone who sees it of its simple truth.

Thirty Days of Thanks # 21

Thankful Mixed Media

Preserve it!
I had a few Thanksgiving cards I had kept through the years along with a poignant fortune from a cookie so I made this collage.
Make your own mixed media collage of the Thanksgiving treasures and sentiments you have saved along the way. Any sayings, quotes or Thanksgiving notes would be perfect materials for this creating process? Today’s a great day to collage!

Thirty Days of Thanks # 20

Remembering Jar

Today’s a good day for grateful remembering of those we have loved and lost. Grab a pasta sauce jar or other glass container and decorate with a little fall flair, add a candle and presto your set to remember. Spending time in thanks for those along the way helps us heal and grow and share the history of who we are with those we have close to us today.

Thirty Days of Thanks # 19

Thankful Mobile

Since we’ve already been out on a collecting branches mission for Thankful craft # 18 we can carry a natural theme onto day #19 with a nifty paper, wood and string mobile like this one from madebyjoel.com. This is such a fun and easy activity for ANY age to join in on. Grab some paper, draw some pictures of things that make you glad and string em up to a branch! You can staple or tape paper and sting together or using thread and a needle sew it all together.
What a great visual reminder of all that is good!