Create the Perfect Craft Area in Your Home

People enjoy crafts of all kinds. Some take up little space; some take up a lot. Some crafts need very few supplies, and some require enough to fill a cabinet or more. Whatever the crafts, if there is more than one person in the family, creating the perfect craft area in your home is probably something you all only dream about.

Crafts like sewing require quite a bit of space. You need to have a sewing machine, ironing board and iron, an easily accessible space for notions, and space to store fabric and patterns. Dad and the kids have their own crafts. Wouldn’t it be great to have one room where all of this could be located?

Begin by deciding which room you will turn into a craft room or if you will have to add one to your home. If you have a room to use, measure it and draw the room to scale on graph paper. Measure each piece of furniture that will go into the room and transfer those to the same scale size; cut out each piece so you can try different room arrangements without having to move heavy furniture.

One recommendation would be to divide the room into zones. If someone is interested in painting, they will want to have access to direct sunlight. Sunlight wouldn’t be so important to someone who was scrapbooking or putting together models. Create a painting zone nearest the windows.

Be sure to have plenty of overhead as well as task lighting in the room. Each task requires lighting for close tasks as well as something more general. Lamps that can be adjusted for specific tasks would be a good idea. Do you have enough wall outlets or do you need to add more?

Work space will probably be a premium concern. Someone who sews would need a place for the machine as well as space to spread out fabric when cutting out patterns. Of course, that area could be used by someone scrapbooking, as long as they weren’t trying to do so at the same time. The longer the flat surface, the better it would be. If it were long enough, it might be able to accommodate two crafts at one time.

Seating would be another area to consider. Comfortable chairs are a must, especially if you’re sitting for long periods of time. However, you don’t want to get lounge chairs. Something that is ergonomic and practical would be best. You want to be comfortable while working on your craft, but not so comfortable you fall asleep. Good quality office-style chairs will probably do nicely.

The final component is where to store everything. How much of the supplies needed for each craft can be stored on shelves rather than in cabinets on the floor? Peg boards, wall-mounted organizers, and multiple shelved units could store a good amount of things. What about putting strips of metal along the walls near each work area? These would be a handy place to hold scissors, little jars to hold beads or buttons, and more. The options are limitless if you think about it.

Crafts are an important part of our lives. They help us relax and give us a creative outlet. They help us to dream. If they’re so important to us, why is it we don’t enjoy doing them more often? Having a great space designated just for crafts might be the answer your whole family is looking for. Think about the benefits, and then create the perfect craft area for your home.

Outdoor Decorating Tips for Christmas

One of the most delightful parts of Christmas time is driving around looking at all the wonderful displays at the various homes in your neighborhood. It takes some planning to have a nice display that isn’t overdone.

Lights are probably the most important part of an outdoor Christmas display. Many lights today are usable indoors or out but be sure to purchase ones that are designed to be used outside. Before hanging the lights, check for burned out bulbs and loose ones. Make sure your ladder is secure before climbing up to hang the lights. There are also tools that can help you hang the lights, without a ladder. There are long poles with a special attachment at the end that holds a bulb on a string of lights. It clicks into place on the pole with a twist, then you attach to the hanger, untwist and the light is in place.

Wreaths are always a nice addition to outdoor decorations. There are many styles to choose from, including those made with natural and artificial greenery. Decide what will look best on your house something with high contrast works best. Make sure it will be large enough to be seen from the road. Some have lights on them and some you may want to light with a spot light.

If you have an evergreen tree or bush in your yard, they are a decoration in the making. Find lights that are the right size for the plant. You don’t want the bulbs too heavy that weigh down the branches. Again, be sure they are lights that are made to be used outdoors. Use simple plastic ornaments, as they are safer than glass.

A nice display of large figures is also popular for outdoor decorations in the yard. There are many things to choose from. There are inflatable figures, like Santa and the reindeer. There are also nice nativity sets to chose from. Some people actually put a small shelter to place the figures in and around. Others use simple wood cut out silhouettes and have spotlights on them.

Another idea for decorating is to use a wire frame to make silhouettes of figures, trees, snowmen, anything you can make with a simple line. Attach lights to it and scatter them in the yard. You could have a whole forest if you have enough time and lights.

An important thing to keep in mind is the electric bill that will come with using a lot of lights. Sometimes smaller is better. If the yard is too cluttered, things will be missed. Use a good design and chose something to be the focus of the decorations. Lay out things on paper first to see if you like the way they will look. You might even take a photo of the front of your house, print it out and play with scale drawings of the decorations you want to use to see if you’ll like it.

Empty Glass Jar Crafts

Kids have a way of using their imaginations to turn everyday objects into something extraordinary.  A large cardboard box can be a house, car or spaceship, a rock can be their dog or a walkie-talkie, and a hairbrush can be a microphone used in their on-stage singing debut.  With an empty glass jar and some craft supplies, they can use all of that imagination to create some wonderful crafts.  Here are ten ideas you can use to help them along.

1. Beach in a jar – This is a fun project for kids who have been to the beach recently and gathered seashells.  Simply put some sand in the bottom of the jar, and add lots of shells and some driftwood.  A larger shell can be glued to the lid for a finishing touch.

2. Lantern or candleholder – This is a good project for a glass jar of any size.  The kids can use glass liner and paint to create a stained glass look, or they can add semi-transparent material such as tissue paper to the outside of the jar with Mod Podge.  For a lantern, a handle can be made with string or wire.

3. Christmas lights in a jar – This can actually be used for a variety of occasions, or year round with the right kinds of potpourri.  Simply place a layer of lights on the bottom (clear works best if it’s not for Christmas), put some potpourri on top, and repeat until you’ve used all of the lights, leaving the cord on the outside.  Cover the top with a doily, secure with a rubber band, and tie some pretty ribbon around it.

4. Flower vase – Glass jars make charming vases.  All that’s needed to spruce them up is some glass paint, and maybe some stick-on jewels.  Dried flowers or pieces of fabric could also be added with Mod Podge.  If the opening seems too large, and adult can cut a large hole in the lid and let the child cover it with ribbon.

5. Cake in a jar – Find a good cake recipe, and measure out the dry, non-perishable ingredients.  Then add one ingredient to the jar at a time, and do not mix.  This creates a nice layered look and gives the recipient most of the ingredients to make a delicious homemade cake.  Write the recipe on a tag and attach it with ribbon.

6. Jar lamp – You can find jar lamp kits online that include the electrical parts.  All your child has to do is put some paper shred in the bottom, add any items that he wants to the jar, and add a lampshade.  You can find a decorative shade at a local discount store, or your child can use markers or fabric paint to decorate a plain one.

7. Bank – Jars make great banks.  Simply cut a slot in the lid to put change in, and let your child decorate the outside as he chooses.

8. Jack-o-lantern jar – This is a great Halloween project.  Cut shapes for the eyes, nose and mouth out of masking tape, and place them on the jar.  Paint with orange paint, and remove tape when dry.  Add a candle or small light to make it glow.

9. Candy jar – This can be decorated any way your child likes.  Fill it with candy and give it as a gift, or keep it on the coffee table for guests to enjoy.

10. Planter – Put pebbles in the bottom of a small canning jar, then fill with potting soil.  Plant herb or flower seeds, and put in the windowsill.

Dish Towel Project – Towel Bunny

Materials:
* A dishtowel
* Two washcloths
* Some ribbon

Instructions:
1. Lay the dishtowel down wrong side up, and fold it in thirds lengthwise. Then fold it in thirds again.
2. Roll one washcloth from the corner inward, stopping at the center. Do the same with the opposite corner, meeting the other roll in the middle.
3. Fold the top of the dishtowel down one-third of the way. Lay the washcloth inside the fold, grab the ends, and pull them up.
4. Use some ribbon to tie a bow on the washcloth, as close as possible to the dishtowel. Tie another bow on the dishtowel, directly under where the bulge created by the washcloth ends.
5. Roll the other washcloth starting at one side and ending at the other.
6. Slide this washcloth up between the back and front of the dishtowel, keeping it centered. Tie a bow on the dishtowel underneath it.
7. Bring the ends of the second washcloth around to the front and tie with ribbon.

Quick Wine Bottle Centerpiece

This video shows you how you can create a wonderful centerpiece for your party or dinner table. All you need are wine bottles, candles, sea shells and other items you may already have in your home.