My Craft Closet


EASTER  CHRISTMAS  MOTHER'S DAY  FATHER'S DAY  HALLOWEEN  KIDS  MISC

Topiary

 Approx. Crafting Time: 1 hour
 Skill Level:  Easiest

This favor makes a great table decoration. Personalize with the names of the bride and groom and wedding date.

Materials List

Your Choice Of:

  • Acrylic paint, copper

  • Acrylic paint, gold

  • Acrylic paint, ivory

  • Acrylic paint, white

  • Clay pot, 2½ inch

  • Craft glue, thick

  • Dried rosebuds 25

  • Floral pins

  • Floral tape

  • Foam balls, 1½-inch

  • Glue gun, lo-temp

  • Glue sticks, lo-temp

  • Paint pen, gold

  • Paintbrush, flat, 3/8-inch

  • Reindeer moss

  • Ribbon, 3/8-inch wide 9-inches

  • Scissors

  • Sea sponge

  • Skewer stick, 8-inch

Around the House:

  • Knife, serrated

  • Paper towels

  • Pencil

  • Ruler

Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Instructions:

  • Paint the pot ivory; let dry for 3 minutes, then wipe off some paint with a dampened paper towel. Use the damp sponge to dab gold on the pot brim; let dry. Repeat with the copper and white paints.

  • Use the gold pen to write “And They Lived Happily Ever After” around the pot.

  • Trim the floral foam to fit into the pot and glue to secure.

  • Wrap the skewer with the floral tape. Glue one end into the foam ball and the other end into the pot.

  • Cover the ball and foam with moss; secure with floral pins.

  • Glue the rosebuds evenly spaced onto the ball.

  • Use the ribbon to tie a shoestring bow with 1¼-inch loops and 3-inch tails around the stem.
     

Picture Pot

Approx. Crafting Time: 1 hour plus drying time
 Skill Level:  Easier

What a great gift for Mom or Dad! Paint one for them so they will have the perfect place to display those prized pictures.  Makes a great gift for Grandma and Grandpa too!

Materials List

  • Ceramcoat® Acrylic Paint, Bahama Purple

  • Ceramcoat® Acrylic Paint, Calypso Orange 2516

  • Ceramcoat® Acrylic Paint, Fuchsia

  • Ceramcoat® Acrylic Paint, Turquoise

  • Ceramcoat® Gloss Exterior/Interior Varnish

  • Fun Wire™,18 gauge, Icy Silver

Your Choice Of:

  • Cardboard box, 10-inches high

  • Clay rose pot, 2½-inch

  • Glue gun, lo-temp

  • Glue sticks, lo-temp

  • Paintbrush, No. 12 shader

  • Paintbrush, No. 8 shader

  • Pencil

  • Plaster of Paris

  • Pliers

  • Ruler

  • Wire cutters

Around the House:

  • Paper towels

  • Photos of your choice

  • Water container

Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Instructions:

  • Use wire cutters to cut the Fun Wire into eight 16-inch pieces.

  • Turn the clay pot upside down. Hold the eight pieces of wire together in a bundle and insert about 2-inches of the bundle into the hole in the bottom of the pot. Add plenty of glue to the hole around the wire bundle making sure to seal the hole closed.

  • Ask an adult to cut a hole in a cardboard box to securely hold the clay pot (with long wire ends pointing downward) so that Plaster of Paris can be poured inside the pot. Mix the Plaster of Paris following manufacturer's instructions and pour into the clay pot until full. Let dry according to manufacturer's instructions.

  • Use the No. 12 Shader brush to paint the clay pot with 2-3 coats of Calypso Orange, letting paint dry between each coat.

  • Use the eraser end of a pencil dipped in Fuchsia to make dots around pot as shown; let dry.

  • Use the No. 8 Shader brush to make evenly-spaced stripes around upper rim of clay pot with Bahama Purple; let dry.

  • Use the tip of a paintbrush handle dipped in Bahama Purple to make small dots between the large dots. Place small dots on each side of purple stripes as shown.

  • Brush on 2-3 coats of varnish; let dry.

  • Ask an adult for help using the pliers to start the smallest part of the coils in the wire ends. Work the wire with your fingers until you have coiled up all the wires. These coils will hold your photos and cards in place.

Project Tips:

Wear appropriate clothes for painting and work in a well-ventilated area.
Use the photo provided as a guide when making this project.
Wash the paintbrushes with water and dry them with paper towels before changing paint colors.
Ask an adult for help when using the wire cutters, needle nose pliers and glue gun.

Mom Flower Pot Magnet

 Approx. Crafting Time: 30 minutes
Skill Level:  Easy
 
This terrific magnet will be a great way to remind Mom you love her and hold your stuff on the refrigerator too. Make one for Mom for her birthday or Mother's Day. She'll love it!

Materials List

Your Choice Of:

  • Craft sticks 7

  • Floral foam to fit container

  • Glue, craft

  • Magnetic strip, self-adhesive, ½-inch wide 4 inches

  • Paper or fun foam, 2-inch by 2-inch, color of choice

  • Pen or marker, color of choice

  • Scissors

  • Silk flowers, small, with plastic stems

  • Wooden split flowerpot, 1½-inch

Around the House:

  • Plastic or paper to cover work area

Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Instructions:

  • Fence Instructions: Lay 5 craft sticks down, with gaps between them, in a fairly straight line. Glue two craft sticks across the 5, as shown below. Set aside to let the glue dry.

  • Flowerpot Instructions: Use the scissors to cut the floral foam to fit the pot (it takes a very small amount). Tip: If you cut out a ¼-inch thick piece of foam, about 1-inch by 1-inch square, you can lay it down on your work surface, and press the flat side of the split flowerpot on it. It will dent the foam and give you a pattern to cut the exact amount of foam you need for the pot.

  • Glue the foam inside the pot, and use the scissors to cut off any foam that is visible above the top edge. Make sure that you cut off any foam that keeps the flat side of the flowerpot from keeping its flat edge, as you will be gluing it to the fence next.

  • Cut the stems of the flowers so that they are only about two inches long, and set them to the side.

  • Heart Instructions: Draw a heart or other shape on your paper or foam, and write your message inside the shape you've drawn. Cut the shape out carefully, and set it to the side.

  • Putting It All Together: Turn your fence over so the side with 5 craft sticks is on top. Glue the flat side of the split flowerpot to the right-hand, bottom side of the fence, as shown in the photograph. Let the glue dry. Once the glue is dry, insert the short plastic stems of the flowers in the foam inside the pot. If necessary, to make it look pretty, you can glue some of the leaves down the sides of the pot.

  • Glue the message you've written for your mom to the top left side of the fence.

  • Cut the magnetic strip in half, lengthwise, and stick one long strip along each one of the crosswise fence supports on the back of your fence.

  • Give it to Mom and watch her smile!

Project Tips:

Adults should supervise children using scissors and glue to make this project.

Teacher's Tip: If making this project with very young children, get letter stickers for their message to mom, and let them stick the letters on paper or foam shapes. You can also have them make paper flowers that they draw themselves and cut out to stick in the flowerpot

Garden Watering Can Refrigerator Magnet Frame

 Approx. Crafting Time: 30 minutes
 Skill Level:  Easier

Get your kitchen ready for spring by brightening up your refrigerator with this colorful magnet frame.

Materials List

  • Eclectic Products E6000® Adhesive

  • Sculpey III® Lime 521

  • Sculpey III® White 001

  • Sculpey III®, Blue 063

  • Sculpey III®, Dusty Rose 303

  • Sculpey III®, Lavender 312

  • Sculpey III®, Silver 1130

  • Sculpey III®, Yellow 072

  • Sculpey®, Let It Bloom, Grow A Garden E-Z Release Push Molds

Your Choice Of:

  • Circle cutter, 1¼-inch

  • Magnets

Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Instructions:

  • Working with polymer clay--Work clay on marble, glass, formica, lucite, aluminum foil, butcher's paper, or baking parchment. Avoid direct contact with wooden or fine furniture.

  • Once you have dedicated a household item to clay use, do not re-use it for food preparation.

  • Clay will form a residue on your hands. Use isopropyl alcohol, baby oil, Handi-Wipes, or Windex soaked paper towels to break up residue, then soap and water.

  • Work from light to dark, cleaning tools frequently with Handi-Wipes or Windex soaked paper towels to prevent contamination of lighter colors.

  • Using Flexible Pushmolds--Practice to determine how much clay will fill mold parts.

  • When building in color layers, a little goes a long way. You want to just fill the lower boundaries, even leaving them a little shallow.

  • The final layer of color will fill into the shallow areas. But, if the first colors are “domed” up, the final molding pressures will force “dome” out of the boundaries. LESS IS MORE in this case.

  • Use a clay shaper, paintbrush handle or a pencil eraser to pull any excess away from the lower boundaries.

  • When the lower boundaries are filled, press the main clay color into the center of the mold. Press and pat so it flows. When the clay is nearly level with the top of the mold, use your index finger to pull any excess away so that you can see all boundaries of the mold. This eliminates a “skin” that would need to be trimmed.

  • Put the mold into the freezer compartment for 3-4 minutes.

  • Remove from freezer, and “pop” your molded piece out by pressing from the backside of the mold. It will come out like an ice cube.

  • If any color residue remains, wipe the mold out with a baby wipe or a Windex dampened paper towel.

  • Watering Can--Knead and condition Silver clay. Roll to ¼-inch thickness or a No. 1 setting on pasta machine.

  • Cut out watering can shape.

  • Cut out a second layer of clay in the shape of the spout end. Lay it over the corresponding shape on the watering can.

  • Take a needle tool or skewer and prick #0147;holes” in the spray end.

  • Cut out a second layer of clay in the shape of the lid area. Lay it over the corresponding shape on the watering can.

  • Roll a small one third inch ball of clay. Texture with an allen wrench or a texture sheet. Place on top of the second layer of clay in the “lid” area.

  • Using the circle cutter, cut out area in center of watering can body. This is for picture opening.

  • Flowers--Use the push molds and form multi-colored pastel flowers, and leaves.

  • You can add white to each of the colors to create lighter pastels and shades. It doesn't take much clay!!

  • When all of your flowers and leaves are shaped, place them randomly on the watering can's body and spout. Use large and small flowers in clusters.

  • If you wish to add vines, roll very thin snakes of green clay and randomly wrap them over and around the flowers. Use both medium and dark greens!!

Project Tips:

Polymer clay bakes to a hard, bisque type finish at 275 degrees.

Clay items should be baked for 15 minutes per ¼ inch of thickness.

Use an oven thermometer to check your oven's accuracy. With toaster ovens, set them 20 degrees lower as the items are closer to the heating elements.

Check for discoloration as items cure/bake. If an item does burn, avoid breathing the fumes! Open windows and air the space out thoroughly.

When sanding cured clay items, wear a mask, use wet/dry sandpaper, and sand under running water. Many specialized tools are available. But, your hands alone will serve you well

Kissing Ball


 Approx. Crafting Time: 1 hour plus drying time
 Skill Level:  Easiest

This simple kissing ball is made from fragrant lavender. Hang in a closet to give clothes a sweet gentle scent, or suspend from a ceiling lamp to perfume your whole room.

 

Materials List

Your Choice Of:

  • Acrylic paint, green

  • Floral picks 3 inch

  • Foam ball, 4 inch

  • Glue gun

  • Glue sticks

  • Lavender small container

  • Paintbrush

  • Ribbon, narrow 1 roll

  • Ribbon, sheer, 3/8-inch wide 1 roll

  • Thick white glue

Cost of each project will vary depending on materials used.

Instructions:

  • Paint foam ball green with acrylic paint. Allow to dry completely.

  • Coat ball with tacky glue and roll in lavender, pressing in gently into place.

  • While glue is still wet, press small handfuls of lavender against the ball. Try to press lavender into any area still showing the white of the glue. To hold the ball steady, we inserted a floral pick into the ball to use as a handle.

  • Allow ball to dry completely. We dried ours on a floral pick inserted in a scrap of floral foam.

  • Wrap ball with 4 pieces of satin and sheer ribbon, dividing it into 8 sections. Glue pieces in place at top of ball.

  • Tie a soft multi loop bow from both ribbons, leaving one long loop of narrow satin to use as a hanging loop. Attach to a floral pick and insert into top of ball. Allow glue to set before hanging.

Project Tips:

Although this project was designed with lavender, it can be covered with any small naturals such as crushed rose petals, parsley flakes or oregano.

To hold our foam ball steady while working, rest it on a roll of tape on a jar lid.