5 Valentine's Day Crafts - Project #3

Project #3 - Valentine's Paper Bag Scrapbook

Here is a fun and easy project that lets you be creative without all the pressure of completeing a full-blown scrapbook. These make great gifts and you can use up lots of scraps, ribbons & ephemera you've collected over time.

Materials:

3 lunch-size paper bags. (The red bags came from Target)

Hole Punch

Glue Stick

Sewing Machine

Misc. Papers & Ribbons

Optional: eyelets or metal binder rings

Step #1

Take the 3 lunch bags and lay them on top of each other alternating the direction of the opening. (See photo)

 Step #2

Locate the middle and then sew a seam down the middle to hold all the bags together.

Step #3:

After the bags are sewn together, fold the book in half - pressing down to form a binding. Once your bags are into book form, punch holes down the left side binding. You can put ribbon through these holes or use metal rings or eyelets.

Step #4

Decorate the pages. I gathered up a bunch of paper scraps, stickers, old greeting cards & rubber stamps to decorate my book.

If you are giving the book as a completed scrapbook - add photographs to the pages.

You may want to make the scrapbook without photographs and give it as a gift like that. The recipient can then add their own photos later.

Be creative! Add your favorite verses, scripture, memories or lists of things you love about the person you are giving this to. Just write directly on paper using a fine line pen. This project is supposed to be fun - not overly stressful.

Here is my completed book.

I did not put photos in this book - as I am going to give it away.

I left room on each page for a photo.

The openings in the bags can be used to store little goodies like extra photos, gift cards or love notes.

To make a tab on the bag opening, I stapled pieces of folded ribbon or paper to one side of the bag.

Now go make one for yourself!

After Valentine's Day consider making one of these for a baby shower, wedding shower, Mother's Day or to honor your best friend.

Leave me a comment to let me know what your ideas/thoughts are.

Enjoy!

KayteeJane

Estate Sale Treasures

I interrupt the Valentine's crafts to show you some treasures I scored this weekend at two different estate sales.

A great way to spend a Saturday morning in my opinion is at the sales.  Mark is my partner in crime. (He is actually better at finding stuff that I like than I am.) We split up when we go into the house and divide & conquer. For those of you who are experienced with estate sale shopping you know that it is survival of the fittest. It is a contest between you and the other collectors to see who can nab the best stuff first. If you hesitate you often miss out.

Here are some pics of the haul spread out in my living room.

For about the same price as a meal out for 4 people, I brought home various items including:

A vintage dress form

A chalk board

Awesome "shabby/cottage" shelf

lots of pottery

2 mirrors

embroidered pillowcases

Fisher Price toys

old hat box

kitchen stuff

vintage seed packets

old cards - to use in crafting

vintage metal hooks

baskets

flower frog

Here is a close up of some of my favorite scores.

Estate sale stuff can be pretty dirty and gross when you buy it. You have to have an adventuresome spirit and be willing to get a little dirty. If the stuff is cheap enough, you may have to do repairs, painting and usually will need to clean it thoroughly before reselling or using it.

These pieces of pottery were found buried in the garage at one of the sales. They were covered in dust, dirt and spider webs. Mark was willing to get dirty by digging into boxes until he uncovered them.

Once I gave them a good wash in hot water they came out perfect - not a chip or crack to be seen!

The dress form was uncovered in a cubby hole under the stairs in someones basement. Mark didn't care about getting dirty so he crawled in there to look. This particular sale had been going on for 3 weeks before we got there. It is my guess that nobody else was daring enough to go into that cubby. I bought the dress form for $10. I priced it on ebay for around $100. For now I think I'll keep it.

Here are some of the items after they were cleaned up and put out on display.

Most of the items I showed you today will be keepers. I cleaned everything up and have plans to put it all to use somewhere in my house. Stay tuned!

Check back tomorrow as I continue with project #3 in the Valentine's craft series.

Happy Sunday,

KayteeJane  

5 Valentine's Day Crafts - Project #2

Project #2 - Bubble Gum Machine Card

Today's project is a handmade card that would be great to give to a special teacher or extra-special person in your life.

You can personalize it just for the person who is receiving it.

Each gum ball says something that you love about the person.

Who wouldn't want to get a card like that??

Materials:

1 piece of card stock each: Black, White, Red

colored paper for the gum balls - various colors

circle punch

black fine-line pen

rubber stamps (optional)

paper glue

scissors

pack of gum

Step 1:

Fold the black piece of card stock in half to make a card.

Step 2:

Cut out of the white card stock a circle that will be the top part of the bubble gum machine.

Step 3:

Using a circle paper punch and various colors of paper, punch out the gum balls.

I punched about 2 per color.

Step 4:

Write a message on each gum ball.

I chose to write one thing I love about my daughter Gaby on each ball.

Step 5:

Attach the gum balls to the white circle using a glue stick or other paper glue of your choice.

Step 6:

Make the base of the gum ball machine.

Cut out of red paper (or another color) the base of the machine.

I just free-form cut out a shape that I thought looked good - sort of a triangle.

Glue the base to the bottom half of the card.

Step 7:

Glue the white circle with the gum balls on top of the red base.

I also added a coin slot and gum ball dispenser to my base.

These were made out of gray/silver paper and glued on.

Step 8:

Stamp (or write) a sentiment on to the bottom of the card.

I used alphabet rubber stamps.

If you don't have any of these just use your pen and write it by hand.

I stamped "I'm sweet on you Gaby"

Step 9:

Finish the card.

Inside the card I wrote "Happy Valentine's Day Love, Mom.

I also taped a pack of gum to the center.

Happy Creating!

 I know that no matter who you decide to give this card to, they will love it!

5 Valentine's Day Crafts - Project #1

Today starts a series of 5 posts featuring simple Valentine's Day crafts.

Check back often to see them all.

#1 - Easy Heart Headband

Make one of these for all the little girls in your life - or yourself!

These are so easy that your kids could make them for themselves.

Materials:

Pink & Red Felt

Elastic Headband

Buttons

Fabric Glue

Scissors

Step 1:

Cut a heart out of felt - I used zig zag scissors.

Step 2:

Cut out of felt a small square to sit on top of the heart - I chose red to go on the pink heart. Using fabric glue, glue it onto the heart.

Step 3:

Glue a button to the center.

Step 4:

Attach the heart to the headband.

Turn the heart over to the "wrong" side.

Put a line of glue horizontal across the heart in the center.

Look on your headband for the seam where the ends were put together.

Lay the headband down on the glue with the seam touching the glue.

Step 5:

Cover up your glue.

Cut another small square or rectangle from your red or pink felt that will cover up the headband where it is glued.

Cover this piece completely with glue, edge to edge.

Press the glued side down over the headband (headband should be in the middle).

Using your fingers, press down so that the piece of felt has a strong bond.

Let these dry 24 hours before wearing.

Enjoy! The possibilities are endless!

Longing for the sun...

I don't know about you but I'm getting soooo tired of the Pittsburgh gray...where everything seems covered with a brush of gray watercolor.

Where has the sun gone? I don't mind the snow or the cold as much when the beautiful sunshine is out.

To brighten up the days of January, I'm posting pictures of some of my favorite yellow things.

Yellow is one of my favorite colors.

My house is yellow outside, my dining room is yellow - I just love yellow!

I think of it as a smile in color.

My yellow porch furniture patiently waits for spring!

A pair of old yellow skis (these had to be meant for my house) and our yellow mail box.

A collection of McCoy pots.

More pottery planters collected over the years.

I love the wood grain pattern on this one.

A little pottery piggy - Shawnee I think.

A crocheted table cloth.

While the birds are south for winter, I enjoy my pottery bird collection instead.

Peanut Butter used to come in tins like this.

I love the picture of the two kids riding on a peanut.

Some vintage glasswear - these are baked-on colored glass - clear or white glass that is then painted with color and baked, similar to vintage Pyrex.

More vintage linens. Oh how these remind me of summer days.

More yellow....an elephant-shaped planter and an antique thread spool with awesome chipped paint on the ends.

A pottery wall pocket.

Thanks for visiting today!

I hope where ever you are in your corner of the world that you see a little sunshine today!

God Bless,

KayteeJane