Halloween is the perfect holiday for crafting things by yourself or with your children. Many of these crafts only take a few minutes to make and cost next to nothing. You can use them to decorate your own home, use as centerpieces at a party or even to give away as gifts to guests. Here are a couple … [Read more...]
Halloween Crafts: Tomato Cage Ghost
September 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Odds are, by the time Halloween comes around, your tomatoes are picked clean and those tomato cages are shoved back into the garage until next year. Why not get a little extra mileage out of them by using them to craft an awesome outdoor decoration? All you need is: Duct tape A few white sheets Orange … [Read more...]
Sewing for Beginners: Finding the Perfect Pattern
September 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
My wife is the seamstress of the family. She is handy at crafting things, and one day I asked her how she did it (she tries not to let me near sharp objects, because I inevitably poke myself by accident). I thought it was some masterful sewing sixth sense that she inherited from her mother, but I was … [Read more...]
Ceramic Painting: A Beautiful, Relaxing Craft
August 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Every year at Easter, my mother purchases ceramic eggs from a store and paints an Easter scene unique to each grandchild. She presents her mini masterpiece to him or her on the holiday, and we've got quite a collection going on this end. You don't need to have a degree in art or have taken classes … [Read more...]
Running with Scissors: Keeping Craft Supplies Contained
August 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
When my wife is doing one or her crafts, it doesn't matter if it is flower arranging or beading, the table looks like a craft supply store exploded on it. There are tools everywhere; from three different kinds of pliers, scissors, and wire, to things I don't even recognize at all. I admit to being … [Read more...]
Scratchboard: A Lost Art
August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
About 10 years ago, I was at college over Christmas break and a giant snow storm on its way was expected to shut the town down for a few days. My girlfriend, now wife, and I went to a local craft store to stock up on some things to pass the time. I was instantly intrigued by a scratchboard set and … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day Crafts: Homemade Cards
April 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
As a kid, my dad handled all the shopping for Mother's Day and, for the most part, I just sat on the sidelines and signed my name on the card. It wasn’t until I got a little older, as in 10 or 11, that I wanted to do something special for my mom by myself. I didn't have any money and no real way … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving Centerpieces: Easy Homemade Delights
November 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I hate turkey. I think they are dry and nasty and ugly as sin. I don’t want them on my windows for Thanksgiving decorations or on my table as part of a centerpiece. OK, I’m done ranting now. Whew, that was therapeutic. When it comes to decorations for Thanksgiving, almost all of them have turkeys … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving Craft Ideas: Making a Family Scarecrow
November 5, 2010 By 53 Comments
When I think of Thanksgiving decorations for the outdoors, I see a hodgepodge grouping of hay bales with a wide-grinned scarecrow sitting in the middle of it all. It’s always been something I thought was uniquely fall and that fits in perfectly with Turkey Day. Crafting a makeshift scarecrow is … [Read more...]
A Fear the Has Followed Me All My Life: The Evil Doily
September 29, 2010 By 2 Comments
Growing up, my mom had a doily seemingly under everything. Every lamp and decoration on a table had these little white nightmares draped underneath them. The name doily came from the 17th century English designer that made them. I know. You thought they were French didn’t you? Nope, chalk that up … [Read more...]
