DIY Trinket Box

Several weeks ago I posted a picture of the "Gulliver's Travels" trinket box I made for my eldest son. I originally posted it on Instagram and I have received several inquires about it, so I decided to share it as today's crafty project.

It was a simple and fun project to do and was made to store a few little odds and ends. I really love the way it turned out and I am considering doing something similar with some bigger boxes. I also think it provides great storage and is a fun craft project that can be done with kids.

Supplies
Paper mache box
Decorative paper
Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Jute twine
Hot glue sticks
Hot glue gun

Instructions
1. Cut the decorative paper to fit the top of your trinket box lid.

2. Use mod podge to glue the decorative paper in place on the top of the lid, remove any air bubbles and let dry.

3. Apply several coats of mod podge and let dry between coats.

4. Hot glue twine around the edge of the lid.

5. Hot glue twine on the outside of the box, leaving space at the top of the box for the lid to sit and cover the box securely.

Tip! The top of my trinket box was covered with craft tissue paper, which I printed with a page from "Gulliver's Travels." To print on tissue paper, you may have to bond it to card stock or other printer paper to make it easier to print on.

I-Spy Bag Toy

I was browsing Pinterest with my three year old son on my lap and an I-Spy Bag was on the screen. He was so excited and asked what it was, so I decided to make one for him. I used fabric from two shirts that my eldest son has grown out of, and I backed it with an end of medium weight denim. The clear vinyl is from some packaging, and I reinforced it with topstitching.

I filled the bag with four cups of rice, which filled it about half way. The difficult task was finding trinkets to fill the bag, but I was able to find twenty pieces that work really well. The finished bag measures 9 x 10.5 inches with a 4 x 5 inch vinyl window. The large window will make it easy for my son to find the trinkets, while the use of rice makes a bit challenging to see all the pieces.

If you are thinking of making one with light or medium weight fabric, I suggest using fusible interfacing or double up on your fabric (which I did). Using a medium weight fabric at the back of the bag is great for wear and tear. I think that the new toy is going to make car travel a little more fun for my little guy.

I also think that it will be fun to create bags that are based on themes. Do you have any ideas on making fun I-Spy Bags?

Let's Play Dolls

When I was a child one of my most favourite things to do was sew clothes for my dolls. I would spend hours designing and making little outfits from ends of fabric. I personally think that I had the best-dressed doll in the neighbourhood.

My love for designing and sewing has evolved over the years into a life-long passion. I also love teaching others how to sew and I am always excited when I have a student that really enjoys sewing. However, it is a special treat to have a young student that has a passion for the craft. One of my passionate young sewing students made this project at the end of our sewing sessions this year.

I have shared an image of this project on our Facebook page, but have finally gotten around to doing this posts. I think it is a great little project and something worth doing with young sewers who also happen to love dolls. If you have a doll of a similar size then I suggest trying out the pattern (McCalls Pattern ‪#‎M6370‬). There are also lots of other great patterns available for you to try. You can also play with drafting your own patterns.

When you were a child, did you make clothing for your dolls?

DIY Coasters

Creating coasters from the metal lids that are on your frozen juice container is super easy and fun to make. It is a great way to repurpose this item that would otherwise be put in your recycling bin. It is also a great way to use scrap fabric, gift-wrapping paper or ends of your scrapbook paper. It can also be a great project for you to do with your kids.

With the help of some ModPodge and Dimensional Magic, this circular piece of metal is transformed into cute coasters. The coasters I made are from a combination of scrap fabric, gift-wrapping paper that my son Matthew received and scrapbook paper.

What you will need:

Metal lid(s)
Paper or fabric
ModPodge
Dimensional Magic
Scissors
Pencil
Small Paint Brush
Pin or Needle


Instructions:

1.  Clean the lid(s) and dry. You can also use rubbing alcohol to remove any residue or ink printed on the lid(s).

2.  Place a lid over the paper or fabric you will like to use and using your pencil, trace around the edge of the lid outlining the image(s) you will like.

3.  Cut out the circle from the fabric or paper and place inside the recessed side of the lid (you may have to cut the edges slightly for it to fit)

4.  Apply ModPodge to the recessed side of the lid and place your image on top, pressing from the inside and moving outwards with your finger, remove any pockets of air.

5.  Apply a coat of the ModPodge to the surface of your fabric or paper and let dry. When dry apply a second coat of ModPodge if you like.

6.  Once your project is dry, apply the Dimensional Magic working from the centre and towards the edges of the lid, covering the surface of the fabric or paper.

7.  Using a pin or needle, remove any bubbles that may have formed and check periodically while it is drying; removing any bubbles as needed.

8.  Let your piece dry overnight on a flat surface. I recommended covering your piece to prevent any dust or other elements from settling on the surface. I used a large glass to cover my pieces.

I think that these coasters are a great way to repurpose the lids. I had lots of fun making them and I hope that you will too. Let me know what you think of the project.

Enjoy!

Crafty Idea: Bottle Cap Magnet

Turning bottle caps into crafty magnets, is fun and easy to do. Using Mod Podge Glue and Mod Podge Dimensional Magic, I created these fun magnets using bottle caps from one of my favourite pops.

My favourite source for bottle caps.

Using my 1" circle punch, I punched out the images I wanted from some gift-wrapping my son received.  I glued the circle to the inside of the caps using a paintbrush. When dry, I placed several drops of the dimensional magic and waited overnight for it to dry. With a small bead of hot glue to the flat part of the cap, I glued a magnet and pressed the pieces together with my fingers.

When dry, the dimensional magic has a smooth, shiny surface. It dried clear, therefore allowing you to see the image that was glued in place.

If you are thinking of making a bunch of these and would rather not drink a lot of pop, may I suggest that you check out your local craft store or check online. There are lots of places where you can purchase plain bottle caps as a craft item. A great place to start your search is on Etsy.

As an added tip, because I used quite a bit of the dimensional magic, I found that it worked best if I left it overnight to dry. I also covered it with a glass to protect the finish while drying. You will also want to remove any air bubbles with the tip of a pin or needle, prior to drying. This was my first time using the dimensional magic, so I was not sure what to expect. I like the effect, and will like to try some other projects.

Can you guess which one my little one likes?

Book Review: Made by Me

Made by Me - Jane Bull

I recently gave a little friend of mine this book as a gift. I love the wonderful collection of projects and the full colour step-by-step instructions. There are lots of projects to keep the reader entertained. The book teaches basic sewing, knitting and embroidery skills, and each project compliments each other.

One of my favourite projects in the book is the cloth dolls. I remember making these when I was a kid and it brought back fond memories. Another favourite of mine is the hand embroidery, which shows you how to take your drawing and turn in into a embroidery or cross-stitch pattern.

If you have a chance to check this book out at the library, you will be happy with the weeks of fun it has to offer. It will make a great gift for the little maker in your life or even a wonderful addition to your own library.

Book Review: Recycling Things to Make and Do

On today's Crafted Spaces Radio I talked about "Eco Crafting." I have wanted to start a segment on this topic for some time now and will like to add more to this topic as the year progresses. There are lots of blogs and other sites that are dedicated to this topic, as well as a wealth of other online resources. I mentioned this book; "Recycling things to make and do," because it is a great resource for working with kids on wonderful craft projects.

The large, bright full colour pages present the projects in easy to follow steps and each project uses materials from around your home as well as items that you may have from left-over sewing and craft projects. The projects are equally great for boys or girls and I think will appeal to a wide age group. Younger kids can make projects that allow them to explore paint and texture, while older kids can make projects like gift bags and tags that are perfect for gift giving. There are a number of other books in the series that look at "things to make and do."

I was asked by my nine-year-old son, "What interesting things did you do as a kid, when you were my age mommy?" His question brought back memories of drawing and working on countless craft projects. I remember spending hours with my craft books and trying lots of new craft projects. I would spend hours anticipating the final outcome. My favourite craft book was part of an encyclopedia set my mother had purchased for me. For years I continued to gain enjoyment from the projects I learnt and continue to use many of the techniques I learnt so many years ago.

My family and I have been having fun with our "Family Art Night" and my son's drawings have been amazing. Watching him expressing himself through art has been an amazing experience. Needless to say, I was very happy to find this book. Let me know what you think and perhaps share a favourite craft book from your library.

Family Art Night

Last year my husband Don and I were looking for a way to engage the kids. Our boys have a bit of an age gap, so we wanted to do something that would be fun for both a 9 year old and a 19 month old. We have a family game night, but most family games are designed for older children not toddlers, and it is usually a challenge playing games when Miles starts running with game pieces or putting them in his month. We therefore came up with our "Family Art Night," which has been great for all of us. Miles can get in on the fun with crayons, while it gets my eldest Matthew away from playing too much video game.

We gather our art and/or craft supplies and let our imagination and hands go wild. Sometimes we create around a theme or concept, but most times the idea is to just create what comes to mind. For our first family art night of the year, my son Matthew wanted to do a comic strip style drawing. We all had to create three frames and include a thought or speech bubble.

I wanted to share with you images of our drawings, with the hope that it will give you ideas about your own art night.

Here are our drawings!

My drawing was done with colour pencils and Sharpie.

My son Matthew used pencil.

My husband Don and son Miles decided to do a pastel drawing with cutout speech bubbles.

As you can see there are no classic masterpieces in the works, but a fun way to spend some time with the kids. The idea is to find something fun and creative to do. If you are looking for something to do with your family, perhaps this is something you can try. Have fun!

Wishing you a Happy New Year 2012!

May your year be filled with good health, joy and lots of creative energy.