Repurposed Can - Winter Wonderland Tree Ornament Card and Clothespin Candle Gift Set

Hello everyone!  

Thank you Sketches4All       

 Hope all of you are doing well as many made the mad dash for Black Friday shopping this past weekend and continue the shopping frenzy this week. I've only been out during one Black Friday and that was because I worked in retail that Christmas. I was standing guard at a pallet of Baby Cabbage Patch Dolls and after a few customers peaked under the plastic, before I knew it I was surrounded by people who were determined that their child was going to get one.

Shortly before it was time to allow customers access the crowd had gotten so large that I had to hold my arms out in front of me just to make room to breathe and a few in front of me were protecting me by making people back up.

It was a crazy early morning, but kind of fun too.
  One customer overheard me say that I would have liked a doll for my own child. I didn't think there was any possible way I could buy one as the dolls would be gone in a matter of minutes.

The next thing I knew my husband approached me and said that a woman had found him in the store to give him a Baby Cabbage Patch Doll that she had snagged for me when she got hers. It wasn't imperative that I got one, but what a sweetheart. Not only did she get me one, but she went to the trouble of hunting down my husband. She knew who he was because he had stopped in the store to see how I was doing and he was curious about what Black Friday was like.

That was our first and last. Now we do any needed shopping earlier in the year and online. In fact I shop online more and more these days and only really go out to see the Christmas decorations and get stocking-stuffers. I hear about people waiting in line for 2 days just to get the latest cell phone or game console. Now those are serious shoppers! A gift for the candle lover Today I'm sharing a candle and card set. I don't know why I never thought to make a set like this before, because it would make a really cute gift. I suppose everything has it's time.   I made the candle from a short tin can (similar, but smaller than a tuna can) and wooden clothes pins. I got the idea from Savvy Mod Living which provides a tutorial. I was very excited, because there were so many ideas going through my head as I looked at it that I had to write them down. After I made my candle holder I decided to make a card to match. Then as I was making my card it hit me that I could use one of the wooden snowflakes I used on the candle holder and make it into a Christmas ornament. So basically this is a three in one gift and very inexpensive to make and the candle holder can be used in a variety of different ways such as a pot for a small plant or desk organizer.  

 

  Note: There is texture on the face of my large wooden snowflakes which I did not create. I got these snowflakes second hand and they already had glitter on them. I like the look the glitter created under the white paint, so if you want the same look just apply some glue and a thin sparse layer of medium to large glitter. Then paint over it when it's dry.  

How to make the candle holder
Supplies

A package of wooden clothes pins
5 wooden snowflakes (1 extra for the card)
4 small wooden snowflakes
Burlap
Lace

1. Before assembling your candle holder. Paint your can, clothes pins and snowflakes with white acrylic craft paint. I just used a thin layer of paint and didn't worry about full coverage for a more white washed look.
2. Stamp your script onto your large snowflakes.
3. Ink the edges of your large snowflakes so they stand out from the white of the clothes pins.

4. Use ink to cover your small snowflakes

5. Stamp an image of a snowflake onto the front of the small wooden snowflakes.

 Assembling and decorating your candle holder
6. Clip your clothes pins on the side of your can. I placed mine together as closely as I could.

7. Wrap your clothes-pinned can with a strip of burlap

8. Center lace ribbon on the burlap and wrap it around the candle holder

9. Hot glue your large snowflakes in place on four side of your can (one across from another)
10. Hot glue your small snowflakes in place (center between the large snowflakes, but higher up)
11. Add bows to the top of your large snowflakes. I just pulled string from the burlap I was using to make my bows.

How to make your card - Completed card measures 5 1/2"w x 5 1/4"h

Supplies
Cardstock
Wooden Snowflake (directions above for snowflake)
Embossing folder
Dies
Ink
Burlap
Lace
Sentiment

Light Brown Cardstock - You will need two pieces

Cut your cardstock 11"w x 5 1/4"h.  Fold at 5 1/2".
Cut another piece at 5 1/4"w x 3"h (This will be used for making your decorative bottom piece)

White Cardstock - You will need 3 pieces

Cut at 5 1/4"w x 5 1/2"h
Cut at 5 1/4" x 2 1/4"h

1. Emboss the 5 1/4"w x 5 1/2"h piece with your snowflake embossing folder.
2. Apply ink to the edges of your embossed paper and the bottom half inch. This is the turquoise color you see at the bottom of the card.

3. Die cut the long edge of your 5 1/4" x 2 1/4"h white cardstock with two dies from Spellbinders Bracket Borders One. Choose one that will just punch out a pattern in your cardstock and one that will shape the edge.
4. Die cut  your 5 1/4"w x 3"h brown cardstock along the long edge with the edge die you used on your white cardstock. Not the one you used to punch-out a design).
5. Line the two smaller pieces (brown under white) and adhere them together 

6. Adhere your fancy cut bottom piece to the lower half of the embossed piece. Don't worry about any line that is visible it will be covered with the burlap and lace.
7. Wrap your burlap and ribbon over the area where the fancy cut pieces end (about the center of your card)
8. I chose to print out a sentiment I made at Picmonkey.com and then wrap that sentiment like a ribbon around the card, but you can just stamp your card with a sentiment if you wish.
9. Add your wooden snowflake ornament to the top of your card. I used a spot of Hot Glue so it could be removed without tearing the card to pieces.

You're done!

 

Supplies List

This project has been featured at S4All

 Happy Crafting and thanks for stopping by!

Repurpose or Alter an Old Candle Jar and a Soup Can

Hello crafty peeps! I was just thinking about how much I love this time of year and it's about the only time I will pay any attention to television commercials. I think one of my favorite commercials last year was the one put out by Glade with Jordin Sparks singing This is My Wish, Holiday Anthem.  She has a beautiful voice and the song is very uplifting both in its words and notes. I went to Glade's YouTube channel and couldn't find the "Jordin" version anywhere. Kind of weird, but fortunately I found it somewhere else and could listen to it.     I did my Christmas shopping earlier this year so I'm concentrating on finishing up my Christmas cards and doing some projects for small favors and gifts. My daughter's 18th birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks too. December is always a crazy, but exciting month.  
I've got two projects to share with you today. Both were done for the Sketches4ALL 5th Anniversary Challenge Party. If you're interested in an altered/repurposed challenge, I just started one over at S4All today. The challenge will run until December 31st. There are also many other fun challenges from our design team members that are going on right now and an awesome prize for the winner of the 5th Anniversary Challenge Party. So don your creative energy and come on over!   I started out with an empty candle jar for my first project. This particular jar has a nice shape, so I didn't want to cover it all up. It also has a wide and straight area around the center so it was perfect for adding paper to.  

 

 

1. Measure the surface of the jar where you want the paper to cover (find the width and height) and cut your clear cardstock. 

I chose to use the clear cardstock so the light from the candle would show through better than regular craft paper, but either will work. 

2. Emboss your paper.

My cut piece was about 10" long which posed an issue since the embossing folder I wanted to use (Darice - Snowflake) is only 5" long. Then it hit me to just do one end of my vellum and then do the other end. Since the snowflakes of the embossing folder are randomly placed, I could do it in two steps and there is no seam or cut off point. It worked perfectly.

3. Adhere your paper to your jar
I didn't add adhesive all the way around, but instead only along the seam on the back. I chose to use a little Mod Podge, because it dries clear and won't be affected by the heat of a candle-flame like tape or hot glue would be.

4. Embellish the jar.
I chose to use my pine branch die by Impression Obsessions. The pine branch gives a nice holiday touch and is intricate and pretty enough to stand on its own. I like a lot of embellishments, but for this particular project I wanted as much candle light to get through as possible and I didn't want to cover up the pretty embossed snowflakes.

My candle looks so beautiful lit up! In person, the clear cardstock looks just like frosted glass.

-

I ran into a problem
After I cut my pine branches I coated them with Tim Holtz Adirondack Silver Mixative, which was a mistake. While I was giving them shape by bending the branches around a knitting needle and fluffing the needles themselves the mixative began to flake off.

I chose the mixative because it's gorgeous and very reflective. I've loved it with other projects, but since it sits on the surface you cannot bend it without losing some of it. I decided not to concern myself, because any white showing just makes my branches look snowy, but I will be careful to stay aware when deciding whether it's the right choice for my next project.

To add more reflectivity and some sparkle I ran two rows of Darice rhinestone mesh around the bottom. I had considered placing ribbon here and it looked nice, but once I had the rhinestones in place there was no question that it was the best choice for this candle.

I also added a bow and a tag that says JOY. I got the sentiment from The Cutting Cafe. 

I love the way it turned out.

  My second project is a tin can that will hold Hershey's Kisses. The colors I used are teal, aqua and brown which break away from colors normally associated with Christmas and winter.

 

Find a can
I raided my recycling bin and found a La Choy Chicken Chow Mein can. The label came off easily after I ran it under hot water for a minute or two and then rubbed it off with my fingers, but the blue tape on this particular can was another story. Fortunately it scraped off of the very top quite easily and I just left the rest because I knew it wouldn't show from under all the layers I would be placing over it.

 

1. Measure the can.
Begin by measuring the circumference of the can and cutting your piece of white craft cardstock to wrap around it. 

2. Emboss your paper.
I needed exactly 12" of cardstock so to make embossing easy I decided to use my 12" Cuttlebug, Polka Dot embossing folder. 
3. Adhere your paper to your can. 
I used tape. 
4. Embellish your can

 How I embellished mine:

This first step was more involved and honestly I'm not sure that I'm going to do it the same way again.

1. Make the trim for the top edge
I cut the edges (the thicker part) off of two colors of burlap. Then I placed them together so I would have a reasonably smooth edge at the top and bottom of the trim line. I got the look that I was after, but it was labor intensive and the hot glue was not kind to my fingers as I struggled to get all the little pieces to stick down. 

2. Wrap burlap around the center of your can.
I wrapped mine so the fibers were at an angle.

3. Color a 4" paper doily.
Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass
4. Adhere your doily to the front of your can to frame your label.
5. Print out your sentiment
I got the sentiment from The Cutting Cafe
6. Die cut your label
Spellbinders Card Creator-Reflective Moment die pack.
7. Edge the label with ink
Tim Holtz Distress Ink in the color Vintage Photo. 
8. Add twine to the bottom edge of your white craft cardstock and decorate your lid.

I decorated the top by using another 4" doily that I colored with ink. I also added a snowflake that I got from The Cutting Cafe. It's the same snowflake that I used to make my tag (below).

9. The finishing touch

To finish the edge of the lid of the can as well as the bottom edge of the can I hot glued twine to it. I added a pine cone wrapped in some twine to make lifting the lid off easy. 

This was a very enjoyable project to do because I just went with whatever came to mind at that moment. To be creative in that way is freeing.
I can't wait to put the chocolate kisses in.

Project 1 Supplies List

Project 2 Supplies List

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day :)

  Happy Crafting!

Repurpose a Peanut Can for Gift Giving

Hello peeps! I've been working on a project that will take me at least through tomorrow to finish, but I want to share a little gift my daughter and I made together for her boyfriend from an old peanut can. I love to repurpose and recycle and I think that has rubbed off on my daughter. I also love that my daughter enjoys making handmade gifts for people.  

  This can is very similar to the can she began with.

She used the Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles die pack (S4-114) to cut out a round piece of deep brown cardstock to cover the top. The largest circle is the perfect size. Then she used Stazon ink in Timber Brown to color the edges of the lid that would not be covered and to give the paper a textured, leather-like appearance. To hide the edge of the paper circle and give the top of the can a little pizazz she hot glued twine around the inner lip of the lid.

For the exterior of her project she used Tattered Time cardstock by DCWV. I really like this paper and the colors are perfect for giving a project a masculine feel. To cover the outside she cut a strip of cardstock (approximately 3" tall by 12" wide) and wrapped it around while taping it into place. The 12" wide paper did not quite make it the entire way around the can so she took the plain brown cardstock she was using and filled the gap giving the point where it joined a clean, finished look. For the outer edge of the lid she used brown ribbon and then added some wooden beads on the twine.

Inside she lined the can with clear plastic by cutting a baggy into a strip and then added a circle of cardstock to cover the bottom. To finish her gift she placed a note in the can and then filled the can with one of her boyfriend's favorite treats. An easier way to do the inside would be to use a cute cellophane treat bag, but we didn't have any and had to improvise.

I think it turned out really cute and it only took about 15 minutes to throw together. 

Happy Crafting!

Repurpose: A Plastic Jar for Decorative Craft Room Storage

Want something that makes you feel good in your craft room, but also serves a purpose? 

Try re-purposing a peanut butter or mayonnaise jar.

I use paper, cloth, coffee filter, clay, plastic and metal flowers and buds in the majority of my craft projects. I will mix the different types of flowers in a project once in a while, but usually I'll just stick to one type at a time so I want them separated. Plus, I don't want to store them together as the heavier flowers can crush the delicate ones. Previously, I had put them in boxes and that worked for storage, but then I had to label all of the boxes and was missing out on how pretty they looked.

Step-by-step 

Materials:

• Lace
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun (or craft glue)
• Flower arrangement foam (I prefer the type that doesn't crumble for this specific project)
• Jar
• Paint
• Flowers with stem
• White Tulle
• Wire (strong enough to penetrate the foam)
• Wire cutters

First I prepped my flower arrangement foam for hot gluing by placing a card-stock circle on the bottom of it. This just gives me a smooth surface for gluing and keeps me from melting and therefore disfiguring the foam when I'm doing my last step. If something were to go wrong now, it would be much better than happening at the very end of the project.

I coated my lid with some Gesso so my silver paint would stick, but you can cover the lid with a cloth or paper circle that goes down over the sides.

After the paint is dry I hot glued the very top of my lace to the lid overlapping slightly where the lace meets in the back.

Next, I worked on my flower arrangement. I made sure that the flowers were stuck in the foam securely with hot glue since this is something that I will be touching often.
I used tulle to fill in the gaps between the flowers. I also love how delicate tulle makes flower arrangements look.

 

And here is my finished project . I love it!

I did not fill the back in as tightly so there is enough play in the arrangement to butt the container up against a wall when placed on a shelf. If you want to place it on a narrow shelf, avoid making the flowers too close together on the backside so they move out of the way easily.

I have a narrow wall shelf next to my desk that I have some of my glitters on. I think it would be a great place to put it to enjoy each day.

This project would also make a great gift holder for candy or cookies. There are MANY things that can been done with a plastic jar, so I don't throw them out.

Repurposing a Rubber Sink Mat for Crafting

     I came across this flower sink mat at T.J. Maxx. It was only a few dollars and I've gotten a lot of use out of it already. As you can see in the pics I have cut away some of the flowers. I used these in a project to give a flower-textural background. It's easier to use than a template with modeling paste as you have the perfect, in this case, flower every time. The mat/flowers can be painted, coated with gesso, given texture with modeling paste, used to embellish a card or tag, made into jewelry or you can even use it as a template to cover a large area with paint, modeling paste, and ink. It cleans up well and was a great find.
 

Christmas Craft: using mismatched earrings

     Don't throw those earrings away when you lose one and if they're special to you, what better way to have them then on display instead of in the back of a jewelry box. I used a lot of sparkly earrings and the light that comes off this little tree is gorgeous. Unfortunately my camera found the sparkle a little overwhelming and faded everything out, but you get the idea. I decided to use burlap in contrast to all the shine, but this might be something you could try doing on a mirror or foiled background if you want to make the most of the sparkle and reflection.

   Give it a shot. I would love to see what you create.