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

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.

I was in charge of a craft day called Super Saturday and I needed some ideas for crafts. I found this really great Glass Etched Nativity on the web, actually I saw it on several web sites, with the instuctions on how to make it. The patterns and instructions  all said it would take alot of time to cut out the intricut pattern, and then use the etching chemical. We just didn’t have that kind of time at this class so I came up with a better idea. I have a friend that has one of those cool vinyl cutters, the professional kind, she does store windows and stuff and she suggested we use a vinyl that looks just like etched glass.  It is so awesome, it DOES looks just like etched glass, and only took about 15 or 20 minutes to complete. The hardest part, which really wasn’t hard, was getting it lined up and even on all sides. You can’t tell it is vinyl, after I completed the sample one, I showed some of my friends and didn’t tell them it wasn’t etched, they were amazed at how great it looked. 

I love different types of crafts and really enjoy the ideas at Craft Tutorials, thanks everyone!

http://www.chandlercreations.com

I haven’t been very creative on my own over the past couple of weeks. I have had family visiting, and just haven’t had the time. So, I thought, for this post, I would share some “other people’s” projects that are on my “gonna make that one day” list. The projects that are safely tucked away in my bookmarks folder.

	I’ve got this great page at Lion Brand for Crochet Monsters, along with another page for every Amigurumi you can imagine.
	I really just MUST make this hand-tied baby quilt at Everything Sewing. I absolutely love it! I had a quilt like it as a child, gotta make them for future grandchildren. (I hope I have plenty of time to get them done. ) Instructions for the fabric memo board are at the same site.
	And then, there’s this amazing example of fun and creativity, and I really WILL be making this. It’s circular crocheting with 3 separate colors at the same time. I think it is fascinating, and even while I am writing this, I am wishing I was giving it a try.The instructions are at Interweave Crochet’s Blog.

I’m going to get started, and I’ll update this post when I have a pic of my effort. In the meantime, any of our readers who give this a shot, send me a pic. I’d love to see other folks ideas for this technique.

I wanted to pass along a great new craft blog I found. They’re called The Village Shop, and they feature fun tutorials and craft ideas.

During March they’re also sponsoring four giveaways. The first one ends tonight, so head over to this post and leave a comment to win the first giveaway.

I’m looking forward to more great things from them.