Di's Delightful Creations
& Crafts
PROJECTS-CRAFTS
Page 7
China's Rose
(Washcloth Rose)
Directions by Jan Flood
First Stage:
Fold washcloth corner to corner, forming a triangle with the point to your left, the fold on the right. Starting at the corner nearest you turn the point down and to the left about an inch or so, then begin rolling the washcloth, making the first few turns pretty tight. This is the center of your rose----now here is where you need to start forming your rose. Instead of just rolling straight - let the roll drift a little to the right so it forms a slight spiral effect, making the turns a little looser. Continue in this manner to the end of the cloth. Temporarily pin the end in place.
Second Stage:
The folded edge is to your right - the tails to the left. Pick up the top corner tail and pull and tug it to the right, up and slightly over the folded edge. Turn it over and pull the second tail up and slightly over the opposite side. You now have a sandwich, the folded rolls in the center with a corner tail on each side.
Third Stage:
Begin pulling, twisting, adjusting the rolls and tails till the shape suits you. I found the secret is tying it very tightly about half way down. Easiest is to put a heavy rubber band on tightly - make any final adjustments, then add your leaves. Tulle, ribbon whatever, then remove the rubber band. Don't forget to remove the pin. The bottom portion allows you to set the rose down into your basket firmly while keeping the rose in view.
Submitted by Di
Spoon Roses
You need:
Spoons !!! Get a good quality, really cheap ones don't melt correctly
A heat gun
glue gun
needle-nose pliers
glass of icewater, to stick your fingers in when you burn them !!
a ceramic tile
scissors
a tea light candle, votives do not work as well
silk rose leaves
felt or foamie sheets
Turn on the heat gun, take a spoon, holding it by the handle hold it over the heat turning it over until it softens. press it on the tile, to
bend it, you want just the 1/3 of the end of the spoon to curl. Don't bend more than 1/2, or you can't put them together correctly. Use the pliers to help bend them if necessary, but usually the tile works fine. You can use your finger to curl them the way you want, after they cool a few seconds.
Bend a bunch of the spoons at once. Then cut off the handles, leaving about 1/2 in. attached to the bowl, this will be melted to attach the petals. Using the candle, hold the handle over the flame till it melts, then stick two, then 3 petals together to form the center of the rose, stand them upright. Then use 3 more, melt, attach at a slight angle, covering the seams of the first 3. I always press them on the tile to keep the bottom flat. Add as many petals in rows as you think is nice. Take one of the handles that you cut off, hold it over the heat gun, as it softens, use the pliers to curl it into a bud, while it's still hot, cut off the bud, holdiing it with the pliers till it cools and holds its shape.
you can get two from a handle. Use one to put in the very center of the rose. Heat it over the candle till the end starts to melt, put it in
the rose. The other is a bud you can put on a wire, I use the stems from the rose leaves, I get the ones that have about 5 or 6 on a stem. cut a piece of the stem, heat it till the wire is hot, push it into the center of the bud, push the melted plastic from the stem up around the bud. Attach the stem with bud to the bottom of the rose with hot glue, and the leaves, trying to fit them between petals, so it stays flat. Then cut a circle of foamie, and hot glue it on the base.
That's it !!! The first one I made, took me 2 hours !!!, but now I can do them pretty quick.
Submitted by Dotothy
Click here to see picture
Glasses Holder
supplies: old neck tie, scissors, glue, and set of sticky backed velcro dots
directions:
1) cut an 8" long piece off the wide end of the tie. Do not include the triangle shaped part that forms the point when you are measuring. HINT: make sure the tie is wide enough to fit a pair of glasses into . Some glasses won't fit in a narrow style tie. HINT: white glue will also work with this project, but you will need to be careful not to let it run on the tie because it will leave a dark stain when it dries.
2) If the ties has a tag on the inside, carefully remove it. If the seam of the tie is starting to unravel, close the seam with blue glue gel. Fold the edges of the flat open ends into the tie and glue the opening shut. HINT: If the opening won't stay shut, use clothespins or paper clips to hold it together until the glue dries.
3) press on two sticky backed velcro dots -- one on the triangle point and one on the tie -- to make a fastener. To close the case, simply fold the triangle over.
You can use this same idea to make a smaller change purse or earring case. Just cut a 6" piece off the wide end of the tie, without including the point in your measurement. Fold the tie over on itself and glue the sides together.
IDEA: do the same thing to make a scissors holder for those craft scissors!!
Submitted by Rhonda
Caramel Apple Kits
1 bag caramels
6 popsicle sticks
1 cup little baking M&Ms
1 cup chopped peanuts
Put M&Ms and chopped nuts into separate resealable plastic bags. Package everything together. Add 6 shiny red apples if you are not shipping the gift.
Instructions for caramel apple kits:
In microwave safe bowl, on medium power,
heat caramels until melted. Poke sticks into stem ends of apples. Pour M&Ms and nuts onto sheets of wax paper. Dip apples in melted caramel and then in M&Ms and/or nuts. Allow to cool before eating.
(Inspired by caramel apple kits at Dayton's.)
Submitted by Seacooke
Gift to make with small school picutres
Gift to make with those small school pictures
They are too tiny to really use in a frame or even a wallet.
Take a strip of the photos, back them with some pretty card stock.....then cover them with some sort of clear vinyl or contact paper, or laminate them.
Punch a hole at the top and string some ribbon through and you have a quick and easy bookmark to give to grandparents or whoever would like to see your child's smiling face!
Submitted by Paulette
A Time For All Things
Buy pretty wide-mouth jars that hold 2 cups. Gather regular uncooked rice (buy the cheapest you can find) and bags of
unshelled walnuts.
You'll also need squares of fabric to cover the top of the jar and hang down the sides a little, some jute or ribbon to tie with.
1) Open each jar and put 10 walnuts inside (anyway you can get them in)
2) Measure one cup of rice and pour over walnuts inside the jar - shake jar until rice is in all the little pockets.
3) Close jar with material (which has been glued to top of jar) and secure with outside canning band. Tie jute or ribbon around lid.
4) Attach this note to jar with cord/ribbon:
A TIME FOR ALL THINGS
This jar contains 10 walnuts and one cup of rice. The walnuts represent the things that God would have us do, and the rice represents the fun things that we would like and want to do.
If you pour the rice into the jar first, the walnuts will never fit. If you put the walnuts in the jar first, the rice poured over and around the nuts fits perfectly.
The lesson is if we set God's priorities first before the time for the things we want to do, we will have time for both. If however, we put the urgent before the important, we will never fit time in for God.
May this jar be a constant reminder of your priorities in your walk with Him.
Submitted by Paulette
Cold Comfort Kit
Pretty mug
Jar of Drink Mix
Box of Kleenex
Semi-trashy paperback book or whatever suits the recipient
To make drink mix, layer in small jar:
1/2 cup dry Tang orange drink mix
1/2 cup dry instant tea
1/2 cup dry pre-sweetened lemonade mix
1 teaspoon apple or pumpkin pie seasoning
Instructions for Cold Comfort Mix:
Shake jar until ingredients are mixed. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons mixture to a cup of hot water. Stir. Curl up with Kleenex and a good book. Feel better soon!
Submitted by Cookie by the Sea
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