I decided to use the 9 inch wood letters from Provo Crafts again. This time I took a 12″x12″ board, press board is really cheap, it is about $.50 for a 12″x12″ piece. I bought a large 4′X8′ piece because we were doing a class and needed lots of boards. You might be able to get a lumber store to cut a small piece. Anyway the pressboard is pretty inexpensive. Then I painted it black, you don’t even need to sand it, actually you shouldn’t sand pressboard or it will just crumble. Pick out a 12″x12″ scrapbook paper and trim it down about 1/2″ to 1″ on each side, it is totally up to you how much of an edge you want. Then use spray glue to stick the paper onto the wood. You can paint your board any color to co-ordinate with your paper, it doesn’t have to be black. Then paint your wood letter just on the front, once it is dry just hot glue it to the board. You can sand down the edges of the letter for a ruffed up look or leave a smooth finish. Now get an easle and set it up on a table on on the floor by the fireplace. Really great looking gift idea and the best part is, you can make this craft for around $5.00

http://www.chandlercreations.com

It’s not easy trying to find the perfect way to get smaller children involved in the holiday spirit. Boys and girls from ages four through ten are often a little too excited to shop for family and teachers. This craft idea is your solution for younger kids, who need an afternoon to settle down and make a Christmas gift from the heart, especially if you can’t afford full time golf school for the golf lover in your family or friend network! This provides moms, or dads, with an opportunity to take a break from Christmas cooking, decorating, and shopping, to sit down and do something fun and quiet with the kids, like, make a golf bug!

What You Need:

Yarn (Blue, Green, White, and Black)

Mini Golf Club

Pattern for Visor and Hands

Craft Foam

Foam Feet

Foamie Hands

Wiggle Eyes — 20mm

2-1/2″ Styrofoam Ball

Pipe Cleaner (Green or White)

5″ Square of Cardboard

Tacky Glue

Scissors

Instructions:

Start your Christmas project for your family’s golf lover, by making a pompom, –first cut down a piece of cardboard to five inches square, and wrapping your multicolored yarn around it at least one hundred times. Now, cut a length of yarn, six inches, and slide it beneath the layers of wrapped yarn; tie it tight into a double knot, so that it’s gathered and bunched in the middle of the cardboard. Flip the cardboard over to the side without the knot, and cut straight down the middle of the yarn. Now just smoothe out your bundle. Next, press your styrofoam ball onto a hard surface, like a kitchen table or counter, in order to make the bottom side flat. Or you can substitute that piece with a section of egg carton.

Now, take the ball, and cover the sides and the top of the ball with a tacky, sticky glue, –then just separate the strands of the pom-pom so that the styrofoam ball will fit easily inside the strands of your, and be completely covered. Arrange it neatly, then start printing or drawing any of the patterns you may need to finish your little golf bug, then staple them to the pieces of foam for his feet, or hands. Use your pipe cleaners for his arms, and glue his foam hands to the ends. For making arms, just poke pipe cleaners into the foam ball on either side of him.

Now, glue on his eyes, and start gluing on all his other appendages, –then you can glue on his visor, and the little paper golf club. This little golf bug cutie makes a great stocking stuffer for moms and dads, and golf fascinated youngsters, –just be sure the glue is dry before giving the little guy as a gift! Refer to the picture for a better look at what you’re making. The Golf Bug craft was inspired by our friends at MakingFriends.com, where many other fun crafts can be found.

I found those great 9 inch wood letters by Provo Craft and really loved them but just really didn’t know what to do with them so I decided to decorate them and add some black and white photos, something just a little different.  This was a great way to use some of my left over scrapbook supplies. I photo copied some of my grandkids pictures and used the black and white copies.  Please note that if you use photos that you have printed on your own printer, adding anything wet to them will run the ink, so don’t put modge podge on them. Once you have made copies then you can modge podge the photos onto your letters. The rest is just a matter of hot gluing your embellishments on. I cut some pieces of scrap wood for the base and hot glued the wood letters onto the base but you could hang them on the wall.

If you want to use the colored photos just glue them onto the letters instead of ModgePoge, then you won’t worry about them getting wet and the ink running.

(Sorry about that the photos aren’t the best, I am working on my photography skills)

Betty

http://www.chandlercreations.com

The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of the Herbalife Nutrition Shop, is high quality herbal supplements, beauty and bath products, and several other products that infuse wholesome herbal remedies with modern health and well-being. Or even the great work from home opportunity that Herbalife offers. However, the holidays are right around the corner, and there are several ways to spice up the gift giving season, while using gifts that everyone will love! –Not only do these crafts look great on the table, and under the tree, but they also look great while being used.

What You Need:

Three small bottles/tubes of Herbalife product (vitamins, skin care, bath and body, etc.)
Rosemary seed packet
Thyme seed packet
Basil seed packet
Three small red clay pot; about four inches in height, and diameter.
Topsoil
A sheet of colorful, or plain plastic wrap
Ribbon
Assorted candy (optional)

Fill the three small clay pots about 2/3 full of soil each, and insert a seed packet into each, pressing them down into the pot, about 1/3 of the way. Next, set each pot and seed packet in the center of a square of plastic wrap. Gather the plastic wrap at each corner, then tie the tackage off tight with a bit of ribbon. Pretty, right? Do the same step for all three pots. Now, just set those in your baskets, along with the Herbalife products, and optional candy. Fans of Herbalife, and healthy living, will absolutely love the gift. For more information about being an Independent Herbalife Distribributor, visit their website!

Using crafts to decorate around the house, doesn’t necessarily limit your enjoyment to making refrigerator magnets, or tissue boxes glued with macaroni, and painted gold. It also doesn’t mean you have to take classes in glass blowing, or making stained glass, in order to really provide worthwhile craft decorations to your home. Floral decor is always popular, but in the fall, it can only be an added expense. The holidays are coming up, so why not make some Thanksgiving decorations for your home?

The best kind of decorative home accents are the kind that actually provide some use to you and your family. So what better decor craft, than the edible kind?! Naturally, none. Try these festive holiday decorating ideas for Thanksgiving or Christmas:

Fairy Food

Garnish baked goods with edible flowers, like miniature roses, or other blossoms, such as dandelions, if it’s warm where you live. You can bake full size rose petals into cakes, or make rosewater lemonade, which includes pink or red rose petals in the glass. Another festive idea, is to make rosy ice cubes, –pressing full size rose petals into each panel of your ice tray then filling, and freezing it will produce beautiful and colorful ice.

Another idea, is to dust wet grapes with sugar, to make them appear sparkly, or frosty. Other creative ideas, are using powdered sugar, or flour to lightly dust other dishes, for the snow effect.

RainCollection.Com is useful if you want to craft beautiful gift baskets on your own, or just to skip the craft part of home decorating. The site has a huge selection of lovely home decorative pieces, –not edible, but still useful for the family, or as gifts for friends.