Erik HOMEMADE Coffee Break eZine

Halloween 'Crime Scene Handprint' Drinking Glass craft project

Bloody Handprint Drinking Glass

Opaque glass paint and your own handprint will add a little spooky fun to any plain drinking glass! Quick and easy-to-make leave these glasses a Halloween necessity. We purchased our glasses at the dollar store and decorated several.

To make each glass you will need

desired size drinking glass, made of glass

rubbing alcohol, to clean glass

waterbased paint for glass, red

dish soap, large wide paint brush, small round paintbrush, soap and water, paper towels, newspaper, oven

 

Wash glass with dish soap and dry. Wipe surface of glass to be painted with rubbing alcohol. Make sure glass is free of streaks and allow to dry.

Cover work space with newspaper. With large wide brush, paint palm of hand with red paint. Working quickly while paint is wet, grasp glass in desired location. Press palm firmly against glass to get a good impression. Carefully remove hand from glass. *Wash hand in soapy water to remove paint. Touch up any places on the handprint with small round paintbrush. With the same brush, add dripping "blood" from fingerprints, as seen in the photograph. Allow paint to dry. Bake glass in oven according to manufacturer's instructions on the paint label.

Hand wash painted glass in mild soapy water.

*For the best results, we found it better to wash our hands after each impression, starting with a clean hand for each glass.

Sources: Drinking Glass: Dollar Tree: Paint; Americana Gloss Enamel (Tuscan Red) by DecoArt.

To print a copy of these instructions, click here->Download Halloween Crime Scene Drinking Glass craft project

 

'Wool of Bat' Filled Jar craft project

Put this little jar on your mad-laboratory shelf for giggles this spooky season! We found the glass jar at the dollar store and used scraps of dark grey yarn!

For each jar you will need

• 1 small glass jar with a lid
• dark grey worsted weight yarn; several pieces about 3-inches long
• white cardstock, to print label template
• scraps of scrapbook paper for label
• downloaded label template

scissors, ruler, pencil, craft glue, scrapbook paper glue or double sided adhesive tape, computer, and printer

Download and print label template onto white cardstock, or make your own from your favorite font*

Wash and dry glass jar. Snip dark grey yarn into several 3-inch pieces. Unwind the yarn into plies, then unwind and fray into strands. The desired effect is of fluffy hair that resembles wool.

Nativity Decoration craft project

 
Floating on a snowflake star, this little nativity would be perfect for a place-setting favor. It is small enough to be tucked in anywhere you want to show the reason for the season.

For one nativity decoration you will need

1 pill box nativity scene, or a nativity scene small enough to sit on the snowflake ornament
1 plastic snowflake ornament, large enough to hold the nativity scene
small branches clipped from a holiday bouquet
1 pine chenille stem, long enough to circle the base of the nativity scene
3-4 tiny white flowers, clipped from a larger bunch

silicone-type craft glue, we used Household Goop

If using the pill box nativity scene, carefully separate the nativity scene (top) from the metal band of the pill box. (Save the botton part, including the gold metal band, for another project.) With silicone type craft glue, glue the nativity scene to the snowflake making sure it is centered; allow to dry.

Glass Hurricane Candle Lamp craft project

 
Reminiscent of oil lamps of days gone by, this version uses a small votive candle instead of kerosene! Make sure the glass parts are free of oil and grease or the glue will not bond properly. Fill the resevoir with anything small to give your lamp a little color...and the best part, almost everything can be found in the dollar store!

For each hurricane lamp you will need

1 5-inch candy dish with cover that has a flat knob on the top
1 crystal taper holder
1 hurricane-type candle holder
3-inch wide red wired ribbon
sprig of artificial holly, or evergreen, with berries
small items to fill resevoir, if desired, we used small antique glass ornaments and beads
votive candle
Glass Bond glue**, or other glue suitable for adhering glass to glass

Wash and dry each glass part, making sure it is clean and free of dust, dirt, and oil residue. Follow the gluing instructions printed in the label to adhere the taper holder to the center bottom of the candy dish. Adhere the hurricane to the top of the candy dish cover, centering it on the flat part of the knob.

Howling Gourds craft project

What could be more fun for Halloween than a chorus of bellowing gourds howling at the top of their lungs? Make these jolly fellows out of dollar store gourds, then embellish them with a little sequin glitz...vary the size of the wiggle eyes for interesting gazes!

For each gourd you will need

1 plastic covered, foam filled gourd (we found ours at the dollar store)
small sequins, we chose black
glass rocaille beads, that fit onto sequin pins
sequin pins
black water based gloss paint
wiggle eyes in varying sizes
pencil, hobby knife, tacky craft glue

Referring to photograph, use a pencil to draw two circle for the eye sockets and one larger circle for mouth, taking care to space eye sockets far enough apart to get two rows of sequins around the holes. With hobby knife, pierce skin, about 1/2-inch below the surface and cut around the line. Carefully peel up plastic skin and discard.

Ice Cream Cone with Candy craft project

A Second Look

A gift mug is not the only thing you can decorate with candy! We found these adorable ice cream cone cups at our local dollar store and then found hard candies in ice cream flavors to decorate them! To make your own Ice Cream Cone Candy Gift, go to our May 09, 2009 Gift Mug with Candy post in the PROJECTS-CRAFTING Category and download the instructions. Follow the instructions for the mug, but use an ice cream cone shaped dish in its place. You may need a larger diameter styrofaom ball to fit into the dish. Use your favorite flavor of candy, or vary the assorment to the receipient's taste...we added a ribbon bow in suitable colors at the base, and finished an ice cream scoop off with a gift tag and bow. Don't worry about this ice cream gift melting...if it is around that long!

Sources: Cups, Candy, Scoop; Dollar Tree

To make the gift tag like ours, download and print a copy of our template (there are two different colored tags on the page) onto white cardstock. Cut out the tag with decorative scissors. Glue white tag onto colored paper and allow to dry; trim paper around tag. Glue to a second color of paper and allow to dry; trim paper. Attach tag to scoop with ribbon looped through a punched hole in the upper left corner.

Click here to download a copy of the giftcard template;Download Cool Birthday Giftcard Template

 

 

Clothespin Memo Clips craft project

 

It could not be any easier than this! We found our days-of-the-week magnets at the dollar spot in our local craft store! Use a good gripping glue, like E-6000(R), that will adhere the magnets to the wooden clothespins...the hard part is letting the glue dry!

For each set of memo clips you will need

one set of days-of-the-week magnets*
7 wooden spring-type clothespins
E-6000(R) craft glue, or similar glue**

If necessary, separate each day of the week from the master sheet. Using E-6000(R) glue, or similar, adhere days-of-the-week magnets to flat side of wooden clothespin as shown, one day for each clothespin. Take care not to glue into the metal spring of the clothespin. Allow to completely dry.

* if you are unable to find a substitute for the days-of-the-week magnets, download clip art, or use an old calendar with the days marked. Cut out the days of the week and affix to cardboard, trimmings as needed and proceed as above.

**E-6000(R) is made by Eclectic Products, Inc. Visit www.E-6000.com for more information.

Click here to print a copy of these instructions;Download Craft pdf Template-Clothespin Memo Clips

Faux Leather Picture Frame craft project

 

Masking tape and liquid shoe polish combine to create the look and feel of real leather! Cover anything you like with this inexpensive technique. We embellished our frame with metallic beads, you can use whatever you have on hand...We used a plain frame from the dollar store.

For each frame you will need

1 unfinished wooden craft frame
sandpaper, if necessary
masking tape
black liquid shoe polish, or color of your choice
acrylic clear-coat spray
metallic beads, if desired
tacky-type craft glue
E-6000 craft glue**, or other glue suitable for beads 

If necessary, lightly sand wooden frame so that it is smooth and is free or bumps and burrs. In order for the masking tape to adhere correctly, the wood must be free of dust and debris. Wipe wood with a damp cloth and allow to dry.

Tear off a small length of masking tape; tear into smaller bits that measure about 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch. Avoid having any pieces with the straight edge of the tape. Stick torn pieces, overlapping slightly, onto frame. Make sure that the frame is covered and that no raw wood can be seen. Wrap pieces around all edges; allow at least 1/2-inch lap to the back in any area. If any bit of tape lifts up, or does not completely adhere, use tacky glue to stick down. Allow to dry.

Gift Mug with Candy craft project

Why just fill a mug with candy, when you can decorate it, too? Perfect for the office, get-well wishes, or just about any occasion you can think of, this dollar store mug will lift many a spirit! Use tacky craft glue to attach the foam ball to the mug, so that when the candy is gone, a hot soapy wash will prepare the mug for its proper use! 

For each mug you will need

1 mug
1 foam ball (large enough to sit on top of the mug)
wrapped candy (enough to cover exposed foam base)
ball-headed straight pins, the longer kind* **
wide ribbon, for bow
cardstock, tacky craft glue, scissors

Make sure the foam ball sits on top of the mug before you begin. If it does not, choose a larger size ball. With tacky craft glue, glue the foam ball to the mug; allow to dry thoroughly. With the straight pins, begin pinning the first row of candy to the foam ball around the top of the mug, starting and ending near the handle.

Autograph Booklets craft project

Perfect for a scout project, slumber party, camp group, or grade school class, these little autographs booklets are sure to be a hit with your group! Find co-ordinating note cards and stationary at your local dollar store, or mix and match as you like! For the best results, make sure that your stapler reaches to the center of the folded card.

For each booklet you will need

1 folded note card
6 sheets of note paper
10-inch length of 1/8-inch ribbon
scrapbook alphabet stickers*
ruler, scissors, 1/8-inch round punch, stapler 

Fold the sheets of note paper in half and test-fit by inserting them into the folded card; and if necessary, use ruler and scissors to trim the paper so that all of the pages fit inside of the note card. Set aside. Along the open edge of card, center and punch a hole through both sides, 1/4-inch from the edge.