Organizing: Portable Beading or Art Caddy

 

Thank you to everyone who left a comment about my Mom on my BFF Open House post. She's a trooper, and she's doing really well. FINALLY got her moved to the PT Rehab she was discharged to, and very pleased so far with the facility and care she's getting. They are on top of everything, and she's busy with over 3 hours of rehab per day and already asking, "When can I leave?" Good sign. 

On the way home yesterday, I popped into Dollar Tree for a little therapy of my own. And what to my wondering eyes did appear? These great storage bins with handles provide me with a solution to something I've been thinking about. I do most of my crafting in my craft room. But there are times when I want to be able to do something while watching TV at night or even while traveling. Couple that with wanting to get back into some bead embroidery and being able to keep things neat.

With the start of the year and organizing season, Dollar Tree has these great portable containers that gave me my solution! They're deep enough yet shallow enough if that makes sense. I created a Portable Beading Kit, which includes another Dollar Tree storage container to hold nine sets of beads. The great thing about the smaller container? Each container within the container comes with a lid, so beads won't spill everywhere! I have a couple of these in which I store glitter. The handles on the bigger containers come in three different colors. I chose this grey-taupe. The others are  green and  gold.

Here's my kit, complete with felt, embroidery floss, needles, and beads (I added scissors after taking the picture). Easy to carry between my TV chair and my craft room. Easy to swap out other colors. Easy to store when not using. 

The beads are secure in their containers within the smaller container. Lids secure, so even if it gets dropped or turned at a weird angle...no spills. This would also work for sequins, rhinestones, literally anything small that you want to create a collection for. Paints, papers, pencils and pens too!

Now, I just need to work on making things with my organized supplies!

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Cardmaking: Hanukkah Cards

 

This week's BFF Open House Link Party continues here. 

Tonight marks the first night of Hanukkah and I always enjoy making cards for special friends. These may be my favorites yet!

Supplies:

• 110lb Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels) in Dark Royal Blue
• Coordinating Scrapbook Paper
• Gold Mirror Cardstock (Recollections, Michaels)
• Silver Glitter Cardstock 
• Menorah Cut Image (Cricut Design Space)
• Digital Cutting Machine (Cricut Maker)
• Coordinating Large Rhinestones (Dollar Tree)
• Foam Dots

My go-to card size is 5x7 so I cut the solid cardstock to 7x10 and scored in the middle. I had the foiled blue paper in my stash.  I found a beautiful Menorah image in Cricut Design Space. I deleted the flames because I knew I wanted to use abstract rhinestones (Dollar Tree) for the flames. In Cricut Design Space, I then created an offset for the Menorah which I cut from the gold mirror paper. 

I attached the silver glitter layer to the gold layer using foam dots, then embellished the "candles" with coordinating royal blue rhinestones. The abstract rhinestones just screamed flames to me and were the inspiration for this entire project!

The center candle of the Menorah is used to light the other candles, with the other candles being lit from left to right, one candle each night, so I chose one color for it, and used the two gold shades for the remaining flames. 

And there you go! 

Wishing all those celebrating LOVE, LIGHT, and crispy LATKES! 

Holiday Decor: Winter Woodland Lighted Jar

 

This week's BFF Open House Link Party continues here through tomorrow. 

Like the Creatives we are, no room or surface is safe from being decorated in my house! I fell in love with these embossed glass jars from Dollar Tree the minute I saw them and knew these were things I needed to get when I saw them. 

Supplies:

• Embossed Jar with Lid (Dollar Tree)
• Battery Operated Lights (Dollar Tree)
• Evergreen Pipecleaner
• Resin and Glitter Deer (Dollar Tree)
• Bottlebrush Tree (Dollar Tree)
• Wood Slices (Optional)
• Glue Gun and Hot Glue

You could do this with ANY jar with a lid and can color clear jars with alcohol inks. I love all the different battery operated lights that Dollar Tree has every season!

I've seen lots of Reels featuring the clear resin deer, and I FINALLY found some! I also used these two glitter deer ornaments, and the small bottlebrush trees that come in a pack at Dollar Tree. 

I wish DT still sold the mini screwdriver set I bought there years ago (and which Mr. Chocolate loves to "borrow") which are great for getting the screw loose for the battery casing. The light sets require two AA batteries, so make sure you get those too! Unwrap the lights and place in the jar. The cord was light enough not to prevent the lid from screwing back on. 

But before you do, grab an evergreen pipe cleaner and hot glue it to the rim of the lid. 

Since I often disassemble/reassemble/repurpose things from year to year, I wanted that flexibility. That's why I didn't glue the lids on. I also chose to glue my focal items to a wood slice which rests on top of the jar lid. You can skip this and glue the items directly to the lid if you choose. 

I debated about painting the wood slice and decided to leave it natural. Dab hot glue to each hoof and secure to the wood. Follow the same process with the glitter ornament and bottom of the bottlebrush tree. 

This way, if I want to use these elsewhere or differently next year, easy peasy! 

The clear resin deer picks up the lights from the jar. I have these in our master and guest baths, creating a calming ambience and reflecting our Northwest Roots. 

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Sundays on Silverado #278

Welcome to Vintage Charm Party #519!

Holiday Decor: Winter Wonderland Vases

 

More and more, I think I should change my blog name to incorporate Dollar Tree, but I don't want to get into copyright trouble! Mr. Chocolate doesn't believe me when we pass one I haven't been to and ask to stop. 

Supplies:

• Dollar Tree Glass Vases
• Dollar Tree Candleholders
• Dollar Tree Icicles (Two Sizes)
• Dollar Tree Snowflake Ornament

You get my dilemma? 

I love the texture on the candleholders and they worked well with the texture of the icicles and snowflake ornaments. The icicles come in two lengths, You need one package of each per vase. 

I used a combination of E6000 and hot glue to secure the candleholder to the vase. Hot glue one of the snowflake ornaments to the vase. 

Since the snowflake is an ornament, it has a hole for hanging. I guess I could have left it, but it bugged me. So I got out my neverending supply of Creatology Gems. 

They fit perfectly over the hole, so I glued one there, and on the other points of the snowflake. 

I grabbed a flatback rhinestone from my stash and glued into the center. Now we're ready for the icicles!

I used the tape to determine where to start gluing my icicles. For balance, and also to make sure I didn't get too close to the ornament. 

They come in two lengths, so I had to keep them separate in order to keep things straight! 

This next part is optional, but I chose to snip the ends off. A good wire cutter works!

Start gluing your icicles, alternating the two sizes, and I left some space between them just because that's what I did. 

And done! I'm debating whether these will be part of my table decor or go on the dresser in the bedroom. This is decorating week so, decisions...decisions! 

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Creatively Crafty Linky Party #278

Gingerbread Week: Sweet Shoppe Galvanized Metal Houses

 

This week's BFF Open House continues here through tomorrow. 

Gingerbread is so very on trend this holiday season. It's everywhere and on everything. Natch, as a Maker, I had to play! I ended up having so much fun that I decided to do a Gingerbread Week of projects!

I mentioned when I shared my Christmas Card Box that I was incorporating a Sweet Shoppe theme as part of my Christmas Decor, so this is part of that. It won't all come together until after Thanksgiving.  

Supplies:

• Little Houses (I found these Galvanized Metal ones over the Summer when Dollar Tree had them on clearance for $.25!)
• Acrylic Paints 
• Dotting Tools
• Decorative Gems (Creatology, Michaels)
• Mini Gingerbread Figures (Ashland, Michaels)
• Adhesive
• Glitter
• Oversized Bottle Caps

As I mentioned, I picked up these little galvanized metal houses over the Summer when Dollar Tree was clearing out a lot of their galvanized metal pieces. Had no clue what I was going to do with them (story of my life), but for a quarter each? No brainer. You could even make similar from cardboard or use a wood house cutout. Grabbed my Waverly No Prep Paints in Truffle and White and painted the base white and the house Truffle. 

I picked up these cute Gingerbread minis at Michaels (on sale of course!!) and thought they'd be perfect for the idea I didn't know I had. 

I had these oversized bottlecaps in my stash from a previous pickup somewhere and they were the perfect size for the opening in the metal houses. I used JudiKins dimensional glue and some glitter on hand to line the edges of each, and also to glue in the gingerbread pieces. I used E6000 and hot glue to attach the bottlecaps to the metal pieces. 

Then I got out my ball styluses to dot the houses with white paint. You can also do this with paint brushes. 

Attached the Gingerbread Cookie pieces to the top of the house with E6000 glue. Any strong adhesive will work. 

If you've followed me for a minute, you know the requisite "It Don't Mean a Thing, If It Ain't Got That Bling" applies so I grabbed my Creatology Gems from Michaels and added them! I swear, the jar is going to last me for the rest of my life. 

Almost done!

To finish, I used Tulip Dimensional Paint to add some snow atop the bottlecaps. Now, all done!

Stay tuned this week for more Gingerbread ideas!