DIY Tray

For one of my home decor projects I decided to make my own tray. These things usually run pretty expensive, at least for the ones that I liked so I decided to make my own. Though my total ran up pretty high, money-wise, a lot of the things I purchased will be used again for other projects down the road since I had a lot left over. Not to mention, I used my coupons from the craft stores.

The supplies I used:

• Plain wooden tray from Hobby Lobby
• Tile Adhesive from Hobby Lobby
• Sealant from Hobby Lobby
• Tile from Lowes 
• Grout from Lowes 
• Grouting tools from Hobby Lobby
• Sponge Brush
• Paper Towel
• Stain from Micheal's  - optional 

The picture above is the sheet of tiles I bought for about $5 per sheet. I bought two because I plan on making something else with the tiles. I just went for the cheaper variety since this was the first time I've done this.

I arranged the tiles on the plain wooden tray to make sure that they fit. And I had to figure out what kind of pattern worked with what I had. It didn't take long for me to figure out what I wanted to do with them but it is important that you lay out your tile first before you set them.

Next I set the tile using the tile adhesive. I'm sure you could use something else since this is your own project but I decided to get it to see how it set. I used less than a fourth of the bottle so I have plenty tile adhesive leftover for several more projects. Once everything was glued down, everything has to set for about 5 hours, so I just left it over night to dry and cure.

The next day, I did the grout. It was as simple as it got. Just follow the direction on the package and you'll be fine. Make sure to fill in the cracks. I had to let it set before I was able to wipe off what collected on the top.

The difference the grout makes is ridiculous. I wasn't looking to make everything perfect and even but the grout certain took away some of the imperfections. This is what it looked like right after I used the sponge to take off whatever collected on the top of the tiles. Once that was finished, I waited 24 hours before I moved on to the next step. 

Once it set, the tray became sturdy.

Next I stained it. This stain was expensive and I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't have a 50% off coupon at Micheal's. I hardly used any of it on this little project and I plan on using it later for other things I have in mind. Anyway, I taped the edges of the tray so it wouldn't get on the tile and used a brush to apply it. Well, after I cleaned it off and sanded it.

When the stain was applied and it set for an hour, I went ahead and applied the seal to the grout. This stuff is a pain to get off tile after it sets so it is best to try to wipe it off before it starts to set. It was fine on the stone pieces. I didn't wipe it off of those because it didn't take away from them.

When everything was dry/set, this became the finished result. Now, I just need to make some matching coasters to go with it.

With the coupons, I spent about $35. How much material I used on the tray cost about $16. As I said before, a lot of these supplies are going to be used for later projects.

Pink Popcorn

The girls and I made Pink Popcorn for our craft last week. I don't normally do a lot of food crafts with them but for Valentine's day, we tend to do a lot of food. It turned out great and even their parents loved it. 

Making it is simple. Super simple. We used three things to make this.

• Popcorn
• Wilton Chocolate Melts (Pink colored)
• Sprinkles

That's it. I bought popcorn that was light in salt and butter but you can probably use anything.

The steps are simple.

1. Pop the popcorn and then lay it on a baking sheet or pour in a bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate (we used a bag for two bags of popcorn)
3. Pour chocolate on the popcorn and mix around lightly. 
4. When the popcorn is coated put it on wax paper (this makes the clean up easy). You could also put the wax paper on the baking sheet to make it a little easier.
5. (Optional) Decorate with sprinkles
6. Let the chocolate harden

*Do no put in the refrigerator to cool. 

The steps are simple but I thought I would tell you that when it hardens, they stick together. If you don't want them to turn into a giant block, spread them out a bit.

Also, this is how we made it. There are probably several ways to make this so experiment and try something different if you want. You can color this any kind of color so it's a versatile treat.

Air-Dry Clay Bowls

These air-dry clay bowls are ones I made about a month ago. I posted them on my Instagram around then, I just forgot to write a post on them. This is just a craft I did to see how I liked it. I didn't buy anything expensive to use for this project, just Crayola Air-Dry Clay in the color white. I bought it in the tub for really cheap. The girls and I played with the Terracotta colored clay and that was a disaster. It was so unbelievably messy.

It was simple to form with my hands and when it was starting to dry out on my hands, water easily softened the clay again. It took about two to three days to dry. It really depended on how thick it was. The little bowl on the left took longer than the one on the right.

When they finished drying I put a layer or two of paint on them. DecoArt's Elegant Finish Metallic Paint worked wonderfully on the bowls. It set evenly and isn't tacky. I used the color Rich Espresso. The inside of the bowl on the left was colored in acrylic paint. I watered it down just a little so it wouldn't have a weird rubbery texture that easily came off the bowl.

This was just a project that I wanted to try. I've never made bowls with air-dry clay before but it's something that I'm going to do again in the near future just as a little craft for myself and for some practice until I get better at handling this form of clay. I'm so used to oven-baked clay which isn't always as soft as air-dry clay/paper clay.

No-Sew Snowman

I remember making these in elementary school for our holiday party craft one year. They are cute and easy to make. The girls love them and it's made out of things that you can normally find around the house. If not then the most expensive thing is probably the pack of socks. The items can be substituted with other things as well so don't feel like you have to use everything I used.

The Items I Used:

• tube socks (white)
• scrap fabric (2- 1ft strips per snowman)
• poms
• hot glue gun
• eyes (normally used to for crocheting/doll making)
• rice
• a measuring cup or a scoop of some sort for the rice
• Elmer's/white (water-based/non-toxic) glue - Optional (if making the nose out of fabric)
• rubber bands
• A nose (I used fabric)

Making the Nose (Optional Step)

This isn't a necessary step if you use something else. All I did was take a small piece of orange fabric and roll it into a shape of cone or if that isn't something that is easy, roll it into a tight tube-like shape and let it dry. 

If you used a tube shape, you'll need to trim the nose when it's done and shape it into a carrot. You'll need more glue to keep the fabric still. (Picture below for an example of how it can look after trimming.)

When you are done with that, cut the carrot nose into the size you desire. This step can happen at the end if you aren't sure how you want to have your nose.

Cutting the Sock

Left: Hat side. Right: Body

Cutting the sock is what you need to do next. The bottom of the sock (the rounded/closed-off end) is the body of the snowman. How you figure out where you need to cut on the sock, is by finding an inch or so above the halfway mark on the actual sock, not the elastic band (cuff? What is that part of a sock called?). You won't need the elastic part. The other end is for the hat. That needs to be slightly smaller than the body. (Check the next photo if you are confused.)

Now take the elastic part of it and you can throw it away or use it for something else. I'm sure you can find another craft for it. Set the part you need for a hat aside. That won't be needed until later.

Adding the Eyes

If you use doll eyes like I did, you'll want to do this part before you start filling your snowman. If you are gluing buttons, you get to skip this part.

The bottom half of the sock is going to be the bottom of the snowman. So that leaves the middle to almost the top part of the sock for you to figure out where you need to put the eyes. 1 inch, or a little more, from the opening needs to be free to tie off later. I'd say about 2.5 inches (maybe 3 inches) from the top should be a good place for the eyes.

Fill the Sock

This is the easy and sometimes messy part of the project. If you are working with little kids, I would suggest letting them work over a bin or a tray that will catch the rice (or whatever it is you are using) to keep clean up a little easier.

So, now, you fill the sock. Not all the way to the top.

Stop when you reach just below the eyes or maybe exactly where the eyes are placed. It depends on how heavy you want it.

Tie It Off

Take a rubber band to close off the top of the sock. This will keep the rice secure and won't spill  for the next step.

Separate the Head From the Body

I don't mean separate it literally. Just distinguish where you think you need to tie off the head from the body. You want to make sure you have a very elastic rubber band for this because you'll have to stretch it around the head at least twice to keep it secure.

That's how you separate it. I bent the head back so you can see it. The head will wobble a bit but that's okay. Just don't let the kids throw it around. It will either loosen the top rubber band or rip the sock. Either way it will be a mess.

In the end of this step, you'll have this cute sock creature but s/he need to have a hat. You'll need that hot glue gun ready.

Add the Hat

Now take the other part of the sock that you set aside and put it on top of the head. It will curl up a bit which is good. You'll need to fold it back a little, like the picture shown above. 

Then glue it down with the hot glue gun. I do a dot on the forehead, both sides of the head and the back of the head. It will keep it on.

Get Your Fabric And Cut It

Pick your fabric or whatever material you're using. We need to make the scarf and the bow or the tie-off to the top of the hat. as well.

You need two long strips of fabric. These should be about 1 foot long so you can have creative freedom with it. I had to tie bows several times for the girls. The extra length is good for that.

Tie On the Scarf

Wrap the scarf around the snowman's neck as you desire. Trim whatever excess fabric off the end and keep it in place with a little bit of hot glue. I always glue down the part of the scarf by where I tied it to keep it from flying everywhere. It's a preference thing.

 Tie Off the Top

Tie the top whatever way you desire. I did a bow because it looks cute and they are simple. Don't forget to trim the fabric. Add some glue if you need to keep it in place and then we have the final stages.

*Note: If the fabric is fraying too much, trim off the fray and add clear nail polish or Elmer's/white glue to the edges. It should stop it from fraying too much. There are a lot of ways to go about doing it.

Add the Details

Add the nose, the buttons, and if you decided to glue the eyes on, add those as well.

Enjoy!

 

Alternatives

Here is another way to make them. Turn the sock inside-out to give it a fuzzy look.

There are a lot of things that can be substituted in this craft with whatever it is you have at home.

Valentine's Day Treats

It's been a while since I last been on here. I've been writing and I've been keeping a separate blog for that. I don't update very often, I'll tell you that. So, I decided that I'm going to try to get back into blogging again since some of the things I have planned for the year involves being creative. And I want to start crafting with the girls more again. I've been slacking...a lot.

Wednesday, the girls and I made out Valentine's Day craft but I was on a budget so it was something simple, cheap, and somewhat easy. I made Rice Krispies Treats that we molded into hearts ourselves. We didn't have a cookie cutter and I love molding things with my hands. The girls didn't mind getting messy.

We took Wilton Candy Melts and coated the Rice Krispies Treats. It was different for every child. I also had to keep them from eating everything. It was hard. The oldest one really doesn't like to listen when I tell her not to eat something.

Here are a few of them. We gave some my friend who works just a few door down from my own work place and they were very excited to have them. It was actually rather cute how excited the oldest boy was.

N is for No Bake Cookies

My brother Lee is the best No-Bake cookie maker I know. I swear he had the recipe memorized.

From what I can tell, there are several different ways to make it. This is how we do it.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups Oats
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt (only if you use unsalted butter)

Directions:

Pour everything into a large saucepan and mix over medium heat. It will start boiling but that is what you want it to do.

Once the mixture is very thick and not running scoop out spoonfuls to place on wax paper and let cool. If you are uncertain about the readiness, let boil for a little longer. Make sure it's thick. Just don't undercook it. It will stay soft and runny.

Cooling times differ. It depends on how long you let the mixture cook.


....

And once again the Internet isn't connecting. I'll try again in the morning to add a song.

G is for Grapes

I'm a picky grape eater. If the grape is too soft and squishy then I can't eat it. It doesn't matter which kind of grape it is either. Also, if it's a green grape, I prefer to eat them frozen rather than just refrigerated but I'd still eat them if they were refrigerated. I just like them better frozen. Red grapes I can eat anyway (as long as they are squishy).

There is a reason for this post, I swear. I found a recipe on Pinterest for Glittery Sour Patch Grapes. When I saw that they needed jello, I jumped right on that because I have a lot of jello. The post I found was on a blog called The Spotted Pony. And I admit that this recipe isn't mine but it's something I wanted to share.

Here is what you need:

• A pound of GREEN grapes
• Watermelon Jello
• Lemon Jello (sugar free)

Directions:
- Mix Watermelon Jello and Lemon Jello in a bag, and then pour a little onto a plate.

- Pull the grapes from the stem and rinse. Once the grapes are damp but not dripping, put a few onto the plate and coat them with the Jello powder as thoroughly as you can. When you finish, place coated grapes into a bowl and repeat the process until all the grapes are coated in the Jello mixture.

- Let grapes chill in the fridge for at least an hour. According to the blog, "the longer they sit, the better they taste."

They are pretty good. I forgot how sour some of these green grapes could be but I like them. I might stick them in the freezer though.

G is for Get Set Go

Jello Fruit Snacks

I found this on Pinterest and decided to try it. They aren't bad...more candy-like than anything but they are good. Here is how you make them.

You'll Need:
2/3 cup of boiling water
1 package Jello/flavored gelatin (3 oz. package of jello)
2 packets of unflavored gelatin (2 oz. of unflavored gelatin)
A candy/jello mold

Directions:
Add both flavored and unflavored gelatin to boiling water and pour into the mold(s). Let set for about 20 minutes or until firm.

They are simple and easy to make. To me, they are more like gummy bears than fruit snacks but I'm not complaining. They tend to be addicting.

Craft Time - Baking Soda Clay

After a week of doing this craft it is finally done. Normally it probably wouldn't take this long but my time with the girls are limited. I only see them twice a week and we usually only have an hour with just the three of us so, yes, time is very limited. It didn't help that I forgot to bring the stuff on Monday. Silly me.

So the girls and I made Baking Soda Clay.

You will need...

• Baking Soda
• Cornstarch
• Warm Water
• A saucepan
• Measuring Cups
• A wooden spoon or silicone spatula

Directions...

• Add 1 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cups of cornstarch, and 2/3 cups of warm water to the saucepan. Stir until everything is blended and smooth.
• Put saucepan over medium heat and stir until it looks like mashed potatoes.
• Once it's done, remove from saucepan and let cool. It doesn't take long. Once it's done cooling it's ready to use.

This can be air-dried or baked.
For air-dry, it takes two days to dry. Make sure you flip it every one in a while. I noticed that my creations cracked, only some of them. This might have been because I didn't flip them or because the temperature was inconsistent. I'm not certain since this is the first time I've used it.

For baking, I read somewhere that you can bake these at 175 degree for an hour. Just make sure you flip them half way through. If you happen to know where I read this, please let me know so I can put a reference.

The girls decided to make hand prints in their clay it it turned out fine. When everything was dry, the girls painted them. I helped Little One with hers.

I glazed theirs with Triple Thick. I have a huge jar of it I tried with my clay charms but I didn't like it as much as I liked Sculpey Glaze. Matter of opinion, I guess.

Chalkboard Project

So, on Pinterest, I saw a ton of postings on how to make chalkboard paint so I figured...why the hell not? I bought this table a few years ago at target. I use it for a crafting...or piling things up because I'm too lazy to put it away. This is what it looked like:

It's just a simple cheap table that is in serious need of cleaning or repainting. One of the legs is loose too but I'll have to figure out how to fix that later.

Anyway, I mixed up some chalkboard paint (1 cup of acrylic paint + 2tbs of unsanded white grout) and turned it into this.

A closer look. Sorry about the awful lighting. My room only gets enough light during certain parts of the day. Unfortunately, it isn't the time.

This project cost me under $10.

• Unsanded White Grout from Lowes - $4
• A bottle of acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby - $2
• Sponge Brushes from Hobby Lobby - $1.50
• Chalk from Walmart - $0.47