Pink Paper Peppermints ♥ Life is Sweet ♥

My notebook, My quote book, My look-what-I-wrote-book - Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

I found this spiral notebook at Hallmark one year and have always loved it. (I heart the Cat in the Hat!) It gave me the idea to create a little mini book with a Seuss-ish theme.

I started by sketching out a template reminiscent of a certain cat's hat .

Then I just cut the template apart creating a paper-piecing pattern (tutorial & pattern below).

Next I glued everything together and attached it to a folded mini-book.

I think this would be really fun to use in a lapbook for homeschoolers, for journaling or a tag for scrapbookers or even a little book in which to collect favorite Dr. Seuss or other quotes. 

Since Dr. Seuss's birthday is this month, I thought I'd share this tutorial from my ezine a few years ago.

 

What you'll need to get started:

-Hat Pattern (download here- you'll need Adobe Reader - available for free here)
-Red & White construction paper or cardstock
-20 lb copy paper (if making a mini book)
-Black or gray chalk and cotton balls (optional-to add dimension)
-Adhesive
-Pencil
-Scissors

 

Step One

The first thing you’ll want to do is print the pattern and cut it out.

Fig.1

 

Step Two

The next step will be to trace the pattern on white cardstock in order to create a “base” for your design.

Fig. 2

Cut this out and leave it blank as in Fig 2. We’ll be cutting the pattern apart so we want to have backdrop to simplify putting it back together.

 

Step Three

Now we’ll cut apart the template to create six separate pieces (as shown in Fig. 3).

Fig. 3

 

Be sure to number each piece (as shown in Fig. 3a).

Fig. 3a

This makes it much easier to put the pieces back together, especially if you get interrupted while you’re working (but what are the chances of that happening, right? heh-heh).

 

Step Four

Now we’re ready to start creating our pattern pieces.

Using red & white cardstock trace three alternating pieces on white cardstock and three on red cardstock.

Fig 4

Flip the pieces over backwards to trace (Fig. 4) so that when you’refinished cutting them out, the pencil lines will be on the back, and you won’t have to erase!

Again, be sure to number the pieces so that you’re able to easily realign them.

When you’re finished cutting out all of the pieces you should have something similar to fig. 5 below.

 
Fig. 5

 

Step Five

Next cover the backs of your pieces with the adhesive of your choice and attach them to the base you created in step 2 (Fig 5a).

Fig 5a

 

Step Six

Make a Top-fold Card or Tag

To make a card, folded tag or journaling flap simply fold a piece of cardstock in half and lay your design on the paper with the fold at the top (Fig 6).

Fig. 6

Trace and cut out being sure not to cut the fold and attach your hat to the front.

Fig. 6a

Fig. 6b

Make a Mini-Book

To create a mini-book, fold several sheets of 20 lb copy paper in half (depending on how many pages you’d like your book to have) and trace your pattern on the side fold.(as in Fig. 7).

 
Fig. 7

Cut out your book and attach the hat design to the front. (as in Figs. 7a & 7b)

Fig. 7a

Fig. 7b

 

Step Seven

As a finishing touch you can add depth to your project by rubbing a cotton ball in a little black or gray chalk and running it lightly around the edges of your hat.

Fig. 8

You're finished!

 

Hope you have fun and make some of these this month!  (If you do let me know, I want to see!)

 

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~

PS  Thank you all so much for all your comments and emails about my slideshow woes. It was so encouraging and I could *feel* your prayers.  I was able to finish the slideshow that day with minimal tears and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Love you all!
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"So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it." -1 Thessalonians 5:11

Free Embroidery Pattern & the first of "12 Things God Wants You to Remember"!

 

I'm so excited about today's post!

This is the first in what (Lord willing) will be a 12-month series of free patterns with the theme "12 Things God Wants You to Remember".  (I posted more about it here if you're interested. Scroll to #4)

This is January's pattern...um...in February....because well,  I had *no* idea what I was doing and it was a little harder than I anticipated.

I had so much fun and learned a lot so I think it will get easier as I go along.  February's pattern should be up soon. :)

Edited to Add: It's up here!  Also there is an info page with all the current patterns here now.

What you'll need to get started:

-A copy of the pattern (see below)
-Transfer pen or carbon paper & stylus
-Some type of fabric to stitch on (I used muslin, but you can use any fabric or even recycle a pillow case or piece of clothing)
-Embroidery Needles
-Embroidery Hoop
-Embroidery Floss (It comes in six strands, but I separated out 3 strands to use)
-Scissors

 

This month's pattern has four stitches to practice. 

I'll link you to some super, awesome embroidery stitch tutorials so if you're learning along with me you can have someone "show" you via the magic of  the internet.

Backstitch 

-I used the backstitch on the snow hill, snowflakes, wind, and penguin outline.

-It's pretty easy and one of the basic stitches you'll use a lot for outlining.

-I also tried to use some metallic thread for the snow, but couldn't get it to work very well, it was really wiry.  (This could be user error.)  So instead I used one strand of the metallic with two strands of plain white and that gave me the sparkle I was looking for, but also worked more smoothly into the fabric.

Chain Stitch

-I love this one for the texture it creates. I really wanted his scarf to look like a warm, fluffy, crocheted scarf so I used the chain stitch in multiple colors to create stripes. I changed the direction of the stitches on the knot part of the scarf so it would look tied.

-At the end of the scarf I didn't like how the little ribbony ends were looking so I just stitched some loops and then cut and frayed them to look like fringe.

-I also used the chain stitch on the lettering. I just love the texture, doesn't it look like icing made of floss?!

Satin Stitch

- Satin stitch is used to fill in areas.

- I used the Satin Stitch on his head and wings and a padded satin stitch for his beak.

- The tutorial linked above is from Jenny at Sublime Stitching.  She is amazing!  And the tutorial comes with it's own free pattern so don't miss it! But if you need a video, this one is good.

 

French Knot

- These scared me, because I have never been very good at them, but I knew I needed to practice so besides his eyes, I filled in the heart with lots of little french knots!

- The tutorial I linked you to is so fantastic, I learned it pretty easily from that and didn't feel scared of French Knots anymore after making the heart!

So here is the pattern!  I inlcuded an extra one that is blank, so that you could add your own verse or quote if you like. :)

 

  

Click here to download the pdf of the pattern (you'll need adobe reader)

 

There are lots of ways to transfer a pattern to your fabric, but I found that good old fashioned carbon paper worked best for me.

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(You may think that disappearing ink paper used for dress pattern transfer, would work well.  In fact you may say to yourself, "hey, it would be great if it disappears when I'm done", but guess what? 

It won't wait until you are *done* it will disappear in 24 to 72 hours, so when you go back 24 to 72 hours later to work on your embroidery....your pattern will be bye-bye and you will be sad.

I'm just saying that this may happen to you...I don't know from experience or anything.  So you know..go with the carbon paper.)

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Another thing that worked really well for me was to use the stylus from my old palm pilot instead of a pen or pencil.  I was able to control the weight of the lines better this way and also didn't accidentally go through the paper.  You could also use an embossing stylus.

Next week I'll share some of my favorite embroidery links!

I hope you'll join me in working on these every month!  And I would *love* it if you show me a link if you do.

Hope you are having a fantastic week.

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy your soul in drought." -Isaiah 58:11

Doily Mini-Book Valentine {Scrapbook O' Love}

Here is the little Valentine mini book tutorial I told you about.  I decided to do a small, heart-shaped book of love notes for O-man with the theme of  "10 Things I Love About You". 

Because it's small and essentially uses scraps from your messy art desk, your neatly organized scrap box, it's a pretty quick & easy project to do. 

So here's what you need to get started:

(click on any of the photos for a larger view)

-paper scraps, cut into strips
-memorabilia
-tiny photos
-embellishments such as sequins, ribbons, buttons etc.
-scrapbook cardstock
-3 doilies (size of your choice, I used 4 inch)
-scissors
-pencil
-adhesive

Step One

The first thing you want to do is trim the ruffled edge off one of your doilies so that you can use the doily as a pattern for your book covers.

(I'm saving the part I cut off to use for something else.  Doesn't it look like heart-shaped ric rac?!)

Step Two

Next use your doily as a template to cut out a front and back cover for your book from cardstock. 

I used double-sided cardstock so both sides would be pretty.

Step Three

Now for the photos.  I'm doing a mini-book so I wanted to use mini photos. 

You could just resize your photos on the computer and print them, but I've been saving leftover photo Christmas cards for awhile (the one in the pic is from 2008!) because I knew I could do something fun with the photos, so that's what I used.

Step Four

For the pages I used various bits and pieces of leftover projects, cut down (if necessary) to strips  that would fit in between the heart-shaped covers wihthout sticking out too much.

You can see some of the things I used in the photo above (click to enlarge). I used a piece of a library catalog card to stamp the author (me) and the date for a title page.

(Gratuitous macro shot of pages.  Don't you just love sewn sequins?  I do.)

Step Five

For the "ten things" part I stamped each "thing" across the mini page.  You could also just hand write it or print it from the computer and add it to the page for a neater look.  I like the messy look myself. :)

Step Six

 

Next you'll want to stack the pages neatly inside the book, and add the cover.  Make sure your pages are lined up like you want them.

You can use a small binder clip to hold the stack in place while you sew.  (Put it on the opposite side that you will be sewing.)

I wanted the ribbon from the tag page to stick out of the side of the book so I pushed it in a little further in the stack.

Step Seven

Before you add the doilies you'll want to go ahead and stitch across covers.

(If you stitch after you add the doily it might tear and you might get really sad and almost throw your whole little book in the trash until you decide that you can just take the torn doily off and cover it up with a new one.)

I mean, that could happen.  So just sew the covers & pages first, k?

Step Eight

Now attach  your doilies with adhesive and your beautiful little mini scrapbook of love is finished!

I hope you have fun making one or lots of these!  Let me know if you do, I'd love to see!

Have a great day!

Grace & Peace~

♥ Melissa~

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"May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed."
-Psalm 20:4

Chicken Scratch Embroidery Tutorial, Free pattern and Stitch Guide!

I've had so much fun working on this Chicken Scratch (also known as Gingham Embroidery) tutorial for you.  I even designed my very own pattern!  (Which is why it took me so long to post it.)

I was going to make an Easter Egg Pattern, but let's face it, no one in their right mind is going to make fabric, embroidered Easter Eggs three days before Easter, right?

(Well the "in their right mind" part is open to interpretation for most crafty people now isn't it?...heh-heh) 

So maybe we'll just save that for next year.

Instead I made a little cottage pattern which I thought would be fun for Mother's Day and we have over a month to make this into a cute little apron or pillow for our Mamas (or for your daughters who are mamas)! Yay!

Right click above and choose "save link as" to download the free pattern.
(It's a pdf so you'll need the Adobe Reader software you can get here)

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I also made a little stitch guide for you, because when I was first learning how to do Chicken Scratch embroidery I got a kind of confused about what color thread to use and on what color squares the stitches belonged, so I thought this might help you.

Right click above and choose "save link as" to download the free stitch guide.
(It's a pdf so you'll need the Adobe Reader software you can get here)

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There are really only a couple of basic stitches for Chicken Scratch Embroidery and the gingham fabric makes it so easy to see where to stitch.

First I'll show you the Double Cross Stitch.  This one is used to outline your design and also as part of the Lace Stitch. 

When you're outlining you'll use the dark color of whatever color your gingham is and three to six strands of floss on the white color squares.  So in this pattern I used a dark pink and three strands of floss. 

When using the Double Cross Stitch as part of the Lace Stitch you'll use white floss on the dark squares.

(See how this can become confusing when you're first learning?  That's why I made you the Stitch Guide.  Just print it out and look at it as you're practicing and you won't have to remember all this!)

Double Cross Stitch

• Bring your thread (dark if you are outlining which we are here) up at point A and down at point B diagonally across a white square if outlining (a dark square if making the Lace Stitch)
• Then bring your thread up at point C and down at point D crossing over your first stitch.
• Now you have a cross stitch
• Next  you'll bring your thread up at point E and down at point F horizontally over your cross stitch.
• And finally up at point G and down at point H vertically.

It's kind of like a little asterisk that you're making.

It's best to do the design the same each time unlike my example.  I usually go vertical and then across but forgot when I was making the sample.  It just looks prettier if all your stitches go the same way.

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Next I'll show you the Running Straight Stitch.  You use this one in combination with another to create the pretty lace effect.  It's worked on the medium shaded square on your gingham, usually in white.

I used two strands of embroidery floss with this small gingham print, but if you were using a larger one you might use three or even six.

Straight Running Stitch

 
Bring your needle up at point A and down at point B crossing over each medium shaded square according to your pattern.  (When creating the lace you'll do this vertically and horizontally)

When you're finished with your running stitches for the house pattern it should look something like this:

 

Next you'll do what's called a Lace Stitch or Woven Circle Stitch.  You'll go around twice or you can double your thread and just go around once. (I always go around twice, because...well...it's fun. ;P)

Lace Stitch

• Bring your needle up under a running stitch at point A.
• Weave the needle under the next running stitch at point B, being careful not to pick up any fabric.  You're weaving the thread between the fabric and the stitch.
• Weave the needle under the next running stitch at point C.
• And then again at point A going around twice (unless you've doubled your thread, then just go around once)
• Finish the stitch by going into the fabric where you started at point A.

 

Now your little house will look something like this:

 

To finish off your lace stitch you'll want to fill in the dark squares with a white Double Cross Stitch.

Like this:

 

The door and window are just more of these same stitches we've learned!  So now you know how to make Chicken Scratch Embroidery!

I would love to see your pretty things if you make something with the pattern!  If you have any questions just drop me an email or ask in the comments and I will answer there.

Have a fantastic Easter weekend!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"God loved the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die." -John 3:16

make your own foam soap refill tutorial!

 
Although being a one-income family has always meant that I have to be creatively frugal, these days, like most mamas, I am trying to cut the grocery budget down even a little bit more. 

One of the ways I've been doing that is learning how to make homemade versions of some things I would normally just purchase new. 

It's not always a huge savings, but often times it's "luxury" items that would just be cut right off the list like paper towels and sugar scrubs and foam pump hand soap. 

So today I thought, "I should really tell my bloggy friends about some of these." (my bloggy friends--that's what I call you guys in my head) and thus "Homemade Homemaker" was born!  And since I can't just do a post about something, I have to make a matching button.....

Ta da:



So this week I thought I'd tell you about foam pump hand soap (and in a couple of weeks I'll tell you my sugar scrub recipe...so easy and so awesome!)



I just love the foamy soaps don't you?  The only problem is that  you can't refill them with regular soap and the "special" refills are absurdly expensive for what they are, but thanks to some crafty experimenting on my part I can now tell you how to make your very own, super cheap refills!

Of course you have to make the initial purchase of the foam soap to get the special little foamy pump (I haven't figured out how to make *that* myself yet...heh-heh).



 
The one I'm using for the tutorial is the kid's soap Kandoo.  My Little-O *loves* this stuff and making my own refills saves lots of cash (and a little nagging from me about only pumping one time!). 

Step One

So the first thing you do when your bottle is empty is to wash it out with warm water. I pump some water through a few times too to make sure there are no clogs.

Step Two



Next fill the bottle about one third of the way full of regular hand soap - any brand will do.  If you have a warehouse type membership you can get the gigantic bottle of liquid hand soap for super cheap.

Step Two
 
Now, slowly fill the bottle up the rest of the way with water.  Do this gently so your soap doesn't foam up on you.

Once it's filled, you want to *softly* tilt the bottle back and forth to mix up the soap & water.  Don't shake it or it will get all bubbly and won't work right.




That's it!  Now you have an almost free, foamy pump hand soap refill!  Neat, huh?  And this works in all the brands I've tried including Bath & Body soap! 



 

Hope you're having a great Monday!  I'm still packing and cleaning and doing laundry and getting ready for our trip.  I'm trying to keep reminding myself that we are only gonna be gone for a week and a half and probably don't need to bring *everything* we own (I tend to over pack...heh-heh).

See you soon!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"He saved us because of His mercy, and not because of any good things that we have done. God washed us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave us new birth and a fresh beginning" - Titus 3:5

crafty paper angels

I am in the process of getting a new computer!

(well, a "new-to-*me*-recycled-from-someone-who-is-*really*-getting-a-new-computer", computer...heh-heh)

Yay! 

And also...*ugh*...

...because, you know, getting a new computer means...

nothing is where it should be

and things have to be installed and exported and imported and deported or whatever...

and you know...other technical/nightmarish stuff that makes you very cranky with your husband whom you love dearly and with whom you would normally *never* be cranky...

{I mean...for some people that's what getting a new computer means...}

Anyway...since I can't really post photos today and the candy cane paper angel was a hit, I thought I'd give you some links to other lovely paper angel projects.

But first some flickr goodness to inspire you:

1. Joyeux Noel angel ornament, 2. Quilted Angel Ornament, 3. Felted sweater angel ornaments, 4. Angel Party Ornament Favor, 5. angel bear, 6. I will fly..., 7. gorgeous gifts designed and made by rosalie quinlan, 8. angels designed and made by rosalie quinlan, 9. Angel bag, 10. xmas-crafts-in-felt-angel, 11. Angel with a fabric heart, 12. Angels, 13. Singing Angel, 14. white angel, 15. angel ,,

And now for the links:

A wonderful, "flat stanley" type of angel from felt or paper!
Perfect little gift ornament to include with your Christmas cards. (I mean, next year, because of course we've all sent them out already this year, right?...*cough*) 

A sweet little spoon paper angel

Origami Angels

Love this! A kitchen angel with your little one's face!

Cute 3-D angel pattern

A felt, teddy bear angel with a little pocket

Fabulous Paper Plate Angel from Martha

Hope you're having fun this season and making sweet memories...

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow."
-Matthew 28:3

a sweet peppermint angel candy cane crafty craft

This is a super sweet little Christmas craft I came up with for the kiddos to make & give to friends at church, homeschool group, etc.  It's so quick and easy! (my favorite kind of craft)

 

What you need to get started:

 

the angel pattern (download here)
paper (we used scrapbook paper, but you could use wrapping paper, construction paper or even fabric or felt)
scissors
pencil/pen
candy canes
embellishments if desired (sequins, glitter, stickers etc.)

Step One:

Print out the pattern and cut it out. 

 

The pattern should be about 7" long when you print it out.  If it's not, you may need to enlarge it (choose: file: print preview: scale: 125%).

Step Two:

Cut slits on the dashed lines only and fold back the paper.

 

Step Three:

Fold your patterned paper in half with wrong side facing out and trace the angel on the fold.

 

 

Step Four:

Cut out the angel that you traced on the patterned paper.

 

When you cut the slits for the candy canes, only cut the sides of the slits as shown above (not the top part).

Step Three:

Open the angel up and write a message on the back if it's for a special friend.  Or decorate it with glitter and sequins.

Or just leave it plain.

Step Four:

Insert the candy cane from the back in an "over/under" pattern as shown below.

 

Step Five:

Delight friends and family with a sweet treat. :)

(and take photos so I can see!  I love it when ya'll send me photos of the projects you've made with my patterns and tutorials--

Hey, I was just thinking, maybe I should start a flickr group for all the photos you guys are always sending me?  I will work on that tonight & post when it's done!  I did it!  We have our own flickr group now, so if you make the angels go an upload them there--or if you've made flowers or turkeys or any projects featured here upload them to share with us all! yippee! I'm so excited!  Here is the link:

Pink Paper Peppermints -- Readers Get Crafty

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We're on our way to a *very* busy Christmas-y weekend of decorating and church activities and visiting and a ladies Christmas brunch...

{I'm teaching the ladies how to make a little fabric ornament that I'll show you next week.}

Sneak Peek:

Have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Grace & Peace this lovely Christmas season,

♥ Melissa~
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"May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD."
-Psalm 104:34

a super fun kids craft -- make a scrapbook paper, thanksgiving turkey, place card favor-wahoo!

We've been making turkey place cards and favors over the last few days and having so much fun that I thought I should share.

 
mama's scrapbook version

 
Little O's paper plate version

It looks a little complicated at first, but it's really simple once you make one and they go together pretty quickly so you still have time to make some for thanksgiving! 

Here's what you need to get started:

turkey pattern (download here)
scrapbook paper (I used almost all Elsie's from her adorable Zoe collection.  It's double-sided so my turkey looks just as cute from the back as it does from the front! The brown paper is Over the Moon Press)
paper plates or construction paper
plain white paper
scissors
adhesive
ribbon
crayons

Step One

For little ones who are using a plate you'll want to draw a square in the center of the back side of the plate that is about 2.5 x 2.5 inches.

Then draw lines from the corner of each square, out to the edge of the plate. These are your cutting lines.

If you're using scrapbook paper or construction paper for your turkey then you'll need to trace the paper plate on the back of your paper first and then create the cutting pattern.

Step Two

 

Next, cut your paper or plate on the four lines, stopping when you get to the square.

Step Three

(I'm switching to patterned paper  in the photos for better visibility but the steps are the same for paper plate or construction paper)

Now fold and score each section of paper on the square lines as above.

Step Four

Next you'll want to fold and score each of the four sections in from the corner of the square as in the photo above.

It should look something like this when you're finished:

Step Five

 

Now begin to fold the sides up to form the cup.  The right and left side flaps should be inside the cup.

 

The front and back flaps should be on the outside.

Use your favorite adhesive to attach the back flaps to the inside of the cup.

The front flaps will only be attached on the inside to create wings.

Step Six

Now cut out and trace (or color) and glue your feathers, face etc.  (well not *your* face, I mean the turkey pattern face...heh-heh)

I have to say, I especially fell in love with these turkey legs because it looks like he has the word "art" tattooed on his thighs, heh-heh.

My little guy created his own design on the feathers and plate and then colored them.

(we're learning about the five senses right now, so that's the mat you see under his work surface)

I found with the feathers, that it was easier to lay them out, arrange them, glue them together and *then* glue them to the bird rather than trying to glue them individually.

Step Seven

Now you can make name cards and attach with ribbon...

Or make a little sign with a favorite Thanksgiving scripture or quote for him to hold:

The cup is fairly large and could hold candy corns or snacks (maybe line it with plastic wrap first) or napkins or any number of things you might want on your Thanksgiving table this year.

You could also just make one and use it as a centerpiece.

I think these would be really cute made from felt or fabric too and then you could save them to use each year!

Have fun making these and send me links if you post photos!

Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~

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"...singing a song of Thanksgiving, telling of all Your wonders."
-Psalm 26:7

Button Flower Bouquet | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 31

Day Thirty-one and now we're done...

Can you believe it?  It's been 31 days already? (actually if you count weekends it's been 6 weeks!!)

Our final flower tutorial for 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days  is for a beautiful bouquet of button flowers!

 Here's what you need to get started:
 

-Buttons
-Wire (I used 18 gauge)
-Wire cutters
-Pliers 
-Ribbon & jar

Step One

Decide on the length that you want your flower stems to be, cut your wire twice this length and fold in half.

Step Two

Now choose the buttons you want to use for your flowers.

I like to stack mine up and play with shapes, sizes and colors until I'm happy with the look.

Step Three

Now begin to slide your buttons up the wire in the order that you stacked them (top to bottom).

Step Four

Now twist the wire down to where you want the first "leaf".  I used various sizes & shades of green buttons for leaves.

 

 Your flower should look something like this:

Step Five

I also added little wire curly "vines" to my bouquet using a wire curler to twist the wire. 

If you don't have one of these tools you can use a pencil (round without the flat sides) or paintbrush to wrap the wire around.

You can trim the wire to fit exactly in the jar or vase that you are using, but I kind of like how my wire looked all swirled together at the bottom of the jar so I left it!

So that's it for my spring flower celebration!  As you're reading this we are on vacation, so I'm not sure how much posting there will be for the next few days.

I've had lots of questions about the next "31 days" of tutorials and I have some ideas, but those will be  "coming soon".

In the meantime I'll still be posting tutorials and ideas and of course I'll be going back to my regular blogging with ten on tuesdays & stuff so I hope to see you all around!

I have been so excited to meet so many people from all over the world doing this! 

Thank you all for your encouraging emails and comments!

See you soon!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"He sent Me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts. They will be called "Trees of Justice," planted by the LORD to honor His name."

-Isaiah 61:3

Cupcakes & Recycling Flowers | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 30

 

Day Thirty-We're flower nerdy!

Today I've got some more fabulous flower tutorial links for you!

Cupcake Bouquet!

That's right, a bouquet of cupcake roses! So pretty and yummy!

and

Recycled Newsprint Flowers

Patricia at A Little Hut shows how to make super gorgeous flower artwork with recycled newsprint!

and finally

Recycled Soda Bottle Flowers

Wow, these are neat-O!

Ok have fun with these and I'll see you on Monday for our very last 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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 "The fig trees are producing their early fruit. The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell."
-Song of Solomon 2:13

Felt Flowers | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 29

Day Twenty-Nine-still feelin' fine!

Today's flower tutorial for 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days  is one of my favorites!  Felt flowers!  No matter how you make these they turn out so pretty!

 Here's what you need to get started:
 

-Felt in bright colors
-Needle & embroidery floss or thread
-Scissors
-Buttons

Step One

Cut the felt in in flower shapes. 

Step Two

Layer the shapes.  The more layers the prettier your flower will be. 

You can use a button as the center or embroidery, sequins or beads look pretty too.

Step Three

For a little more complicated felt flower, cut your felt in graduating circles.

Step Four

 

Next, cut thin little triangles out all the way around to create squarish petals.

Step Five
 

Now layer your flowers and take a small stitch with contrasting thread (I used 3 strands of embroidery floss) about a quarter of an inch in on the petal, down over the edge and into the next petal. 

Do this through each layer of petals as shown below.

That's it!  Fun & fast felty flowers!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"At that time the Lord All-Powerful will be like a beautiful crown, like a wonderful crown of flowers for His people"
-Is 28:5

Word Flowers | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 28

Day Twenty-Eight - almost to home plate!

It's a word flower tutorial for today's 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days ! 

 Here's what you need to get started:
 

-Watercolor Paper
-Watercolor Pencils
-Pencil
-Brush & water
-paper, ribbons, bakers twine & flowers (optional - to create card)

Step One

Lightly sketch out your design on watercolor paper.

Step Two

 
Using the watercolor pencils, write the words you want to use on the lines of your flower.  I used the scripture,

"The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our Lord stands forever." -Is 40:8

You could also write poetry, someone's name or just a little love note!

Step Three

With a damp brush go over the watercolor pencil lines to smudge them a little and create a painted look. 

Once the flower is dry you can go in and erase the pencil sketch lines, but I kind of liked how this looked so I left it.

Step Four

  

Cut out your flower and mount it on patterned paper for a handmade card. 

I attached ribbon and silk flowers to some bakery twine to decorate the spine of the card.

Have Fun!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He sent Me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts. They will be called "Trees of Justice," planted by the LORD to honor his name."
-Isaiah 61:3

French Toast Flowers! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 27

Day Twenty-Seven-We're still in flower heaven!

Today's flower tutorial for 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days  is fun and yummy and a perfect way to celebrate the arrival of summer! 

I think it would be so fun to make these from French Toast, but for simplicity in the tutorial I just used regular toast which is a little quicker and turned out cute too!

 Here's what you need to get started:

-Whole wheat bread
-Butter
-Decorative Sugar
-Flower shaped cookie cutter
-soda bottle cap
-knife
-French toast recipe & ingredients (if making french toast)

Step One

While bread is toasting (or french toast is cooking) cut a 1/4 inch pat of butter for each toast flower you will be making.

Step Two

 

Use your soda cap to make little round pats of butter for the center of your toast flowers. 

This works best if the butter is firm but not rock hard, so let it sit out for a few minutes before beginning.

Step Three

Once your toast is ready, center the cookie cutter over it and press firmly. 

Before you lift the cookie cutter, pull away the scraps of toast on the outside. 

Tip:

Don't throw these scraps away!  Throw them in a baggie and store them in the freezer.  The next time you need bread crumbs for a recipe just toss the scraps into the food processor and you've got homemade bread crumbs! (You can do this with the heels of the bread as well.)

Step Four

 

Now add your pat of butter to the center of your toast flower!

Step Five
 

For a special treat, you can sprinkle sanding sugar or decorative sugar on the butter centers.

Step Six

 

Cut freehand leaves with your knife.

Step Seven

 

Now put together your toasty flowers! 

This would make a fun birthday or holiday breakfast treat! 

For dad, on Father's Day, you could use a fish or sports themed cutter!

Have Fun!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"His cheeks are like beds of spices, with sweet-smelling plants. His lips are like lily flowers giving off drops of perfume."
-Song of Solomon 5:13

Recycled Newspaper Flowers | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 26

Day Twenty-Six and one more flower from my bag of tricks!

Don't throw those newspapers away until you try this!  Today's flower tutorial for 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days  is a perfect summer activity to do with the kids!

 Here's what you need to get started:
 

-Old newspapers
-Acrylic Paints
-Decorative Scissors
-Flower punch or templates or die cut machine (or just freehand your own!)
-Buttons
-Tags
-Ribbon & Bakery Twine
-Medium Grade Sandpaper

Step One

Cut newspaper into pieces small enough to work with.  Choose sheets with solid sections of text or interesting graphics depending on the look you want.

Step Two

 

Pour on a little paint and spread with a foam brush or cotton ball, let dry.

Step Three

Add a piece of cardstock behind the newspaper for stability before punching your shapes (the newspaper tends to crinkle up and get stuck if you don't do this).

Step Four

  

Punch flowers. You can also use a die cut machine or templates for this or just freehand your own designs.

Step Five
 

You can cut decorative elements with your shaped scissors.

Step Six

 

Cut freehand leaves.

Step Seven

Now put together your flower!  I put mine on a tag and sanded it with sand paper to give it a distressed look.

You could also create a really cute handmade card with these, or magnets, bookmarks or even gift wrap!

Have Fun!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Look how the wild flowers grow! They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of these flowers."
-Luke 12:27

Office Supplies, Book Pages & Balloon Flowers! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 25

 

Look Alive it's Day Twenty-five!

Hey today we have some more fabulous flower tutorial links and even a video-Woo-hoo!  Enjoy these!

How About Orange

Flowers + Fabric + Office Supplies = L-O-V-E! 

Okay, if you can only go to one of the links today it has to be this one.  Jessica is one of my very favorite bloggers *ever*! 

She is so full of fun and inspirational ideas and just visiting her blog will make you feel happy! 

Her tutorial on flowery fabric-covered office supplies really will brighten your day!

Reconstructed Shabby Chic Silk Flowers

Here you will find a really neat tutorial on taking apart a silk flower and layering it with lace & glitter & stamping to make one lovely, shabby chic flower!  (Forget what I said about only going to one link!  You can't miss this one either! heh-heh)

Book Page Flowers

Tammy has a tutorial for making gorgeous paper flowers from book pages and stamping ink!  You will love this one! (See the one link only thing will just not work)

Balloon-a-ful!

Just for fun how about learning how to make a balloon flower!  Click play below!  (It looks pretty easy if you don't have the debilitating-fear-of-the-balloon-pop-noise thing going on...heh-heh)

Find more DIY videos

Ok have fun with these this weekend and come back Monday for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
---------------------------------------------------------
 "If you value Wisdom and hold tightly to her, great honors will be yours. It will be like wearing a glorious crown of beautiful flowers." 
-Proverbs 4:8-10

Foam Stamp Flowers! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 24

Day Twenty-Four and we could open a flower store!

Make your own flower stamp with this foam stamp flower tutorial for today's 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days ! 

 Here's what you need to get started:
 

-Craft Foam
-Pencil
-Scissors
-Adhesive (rubber cement or glue dots)
-Old cd case or acrylic mounting block

Step One

Draw your design on the craft foam.  Look in magazines, and coloring books for ideas for designs.  Simple shapes work best for this type of stamp.

Step Two

 
Cut out your shapes.

Step Three

Mount your design on the cd case with rubber cement or glue dots.

Step Four

  

Ink up your stamp and start stamping! 

You can also try using watercolor markers, fabric paints (for stamping on t-shirts or tote bags) or acrylic paints for a completely different look! 

This is a great summer activity to do with your kids!  Let them find simple designs in their coloring books to trace or have them draw their own designs! 

Have Fun!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The entire interior of The Temple was cedar, with carvings of fruits and flowers."
-1 Kings 6:14

Rounded Petal Fabric Flowers | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days- Day 23

Day Twenty-Three and no admission fee!

Today we have another fabric flower tutorial for the 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days ! 

This one is very similar to the fabric flower we made before but instead of pointed petals you get round petals.

 Here's what you need to get started:

-Fabric
-Needle and Thread
-Scissors
-Buttons

Step One

Cut six 3x3 squares of fabric.

Step Two

 
Fold in a triangle shape, wrongs sides together and press.

Step Three

Stitch a loose gathering stitch around the open edges of the triangle.

Step Four

  

Now gather the fabric into a petal shape by pulling the thread through.

Step Five
 

Attach the next petal to the first and then stitch around the edges and gather.  Repeat this for all five petals.

Step Six

 

Once you've finished gathering all your petals attach the last petal to the first petal to form the flower.

Step Seven

Add a button to the center and your pretty fabric flower is finished!

Try putting these on:

-tote bags

-journals

-barrettes

-a brooch

-a scrapbook cover

-a t-shirt

-a bulletin board pin 

Have Fun!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He made the flowers, the lamps and their objects of pure gold."
-2 chron 4:21

Punch Flower Ball Garland | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 22

Day Twenty-Two only 9 more flowers before we're through!

Today's flower tutorial for the 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days is a pretty punched flower garland.

 

 Here's what you need to get started:

-Flower Punch (or die cut or trace or draw your own)
-Glue Dots (or other dry adhesive)
-Patterned or plain scrapbook paper  (this would also be cute with recycled paper like yesterday's flower)
-Baker's Twine or other ribbon or string

Step One

Punch flowers in your desired colors. 

You'll need six flowers for each flower ball. 

You'll need about three or four flower balls per foot of garland.

Step Two

 
I've drawn a little face & body on this flower to make the instructions easier to understand. 

You can do the same for the first flower you create to help you get the hang of it, but after that, it probably won't be necessary.

Step Three

Join five flowers together at the "arms" using glue dots or other dry adhesive.

It should look something like this:

Step Four

 

Now put adhesive on all five petals of another flower and join each petal to one of the "faces" on your flowers. 

Then attach the last two "arms".

It should look something like this now:

Step Five

 

Now flip the flower upside down and  you'll see five little pairs of "legs". 

Adhere each "leg" to the one next to it as above.

Your finished flower should look something like this:

 

Step Six

 

Once you've finished all your flowers, string them on bakery twine or ribbon to create the garland.

That's it, now string your garland somewhere summery-ish and enjoy!

You could do this with red,white & blue flowers for a fourth of July barbecue or in bright primary colors for a birthday party too!

Have Fun!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;"
-Psalm 103:15

3-D Pop Up Recycled Magazine Flowers! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 21

Day Twenty-One and we're still havin' fun!

Today we're making a super cool pop up flower for the 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days !

I thought it would be fun to make it out of old magazine pages, but of course you could use pretty scrapbook paper, handmade paper, painted watercolor paper or even construction paper if the kiddos are helping to make these fun flowers!

 

Here's what you need to get started:

-9 Magazine pages or 9 sheets of 81/2 x 11 patterned paper (or any other paper)
-Gluestick
-Cardstock
-Scissors

Step One

Fold the first sheet in half.  Don't worry about trimming the torn edges as these will get cut off later.

Step Two

Next fold in half again (to quarter size).

Step Three

Now take the bottom left corner, fold it up to the top edge and crease.

Step Four

Next take the top layer *only* of the fold you just made and fold it back down to the bottom edge and crease.

Step Four

Holding the folded paper (point down) start at the middle and cut upwards creating a petal shape.

When you reach the middle crease, fold the top layer *only* over to the left and use it as a guide to continue cutting.

 

Your folded flower should look something like the photo above.

Step Five

 

Carefully unfold your flower.  You will need to create nine flowers like this one.

Step Six

 

 

Fold a blank piece of cardstock in half and glue the first flower to the cardstock.

Step Seven

Flower A

 

Flower B

Layer each flower over the next alternating the petals you glue with each flower as shown above until you get to the last flower. This is an important step for the flower to open correctly.
 

Step Eight

 

 

 

 

The last petal you will cut in half and glue to stack of petals. 

Then glue alternate petals all the way around the flower as before and fold the card over. 

Place something heavy on it and let set for five or ten minutes (this is the hardest part!).

Step Nine

Time to unfold your finished flower!

This one make take a little practice, but it is so worth the end result!  Kids especially love the big reveal when you open that 3-D Pop Up flower!

Hope you have fun!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The two doors to the most holy place were made out of olive wood and were decorated with carvings of palm trees, and flowers..."
-1 Kings :31

Hot Dog Flowers, Paper Roses and Computer Monitors! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 20

 Day Twenty Flowers-a-Plenty!



Today I've got some more fabulous flower tutorial links for you! (my tutorials will be back on Monday)

Today's features are:

Sister Diane from CraftyPod (featured on Fall of Autumn Press)

Diane shows us a super cute way to deck out our computer monitors with flowers and photos!

and

Cooking Cute

Oh my gosh, Hot Dog flowers!  Now I have to say I am morally and ethically against *anyone* eating hot dogs, *but* if you get the non-evil kind from Whole Foods and make these hot dog flowers, well ok then!


and finally one of my favorite artists *ever*:


Rebecca Sower

She has an easy tutorial for some beautiful, glittery paper roses!  (and have a look around her blog because it is so incredibly inspiring!)


Ok have fun with these and I'll see you on Monday for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
---------------------------------------------------------
 "The fig trees are producing their early fruit. The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell."
-Song of Solomon 2:13

Applique Flower Stationery | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 19

Day Nineteen - Kentucky Wonder Bean.

(no meaning...it's just starting to get hard to rhyme the word teen! heh-heh)

We're using fabric to make appliqué note cards for today's 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days !

This is such a perfect way to use up your scraps of lovely fabric that are too small for anything else! 

I think it would be a great way to repurpose old clothes and linens as well!

Here's what you need to get started:

-Fabric
-Fusible Webbing (like Wonder Under)
-Flower Templates
-Iron
-Cardstock or blank notecards
-Pencil
-Scissors

Step One

First cut a piece of the fusible webbing to the size you'll need for your appliqué and place the rough side on the wrong side of your fabric. 

Press it for 5-8 seconds until fused. 

Now trace your flower pattern onto the paper side of the webbing.

Step Two

Cut out your fabric flower appliqué and leaves if you've made them.

Step Three

Peel the backing paper off your shapes.  Arrange them on your card and press gently for a few seconds until fused.
 
You may want to place a cloth between your card and the iron.

Now you're finished! 

If you want to you can embellish them with beads, buttons, sequins, rubber stamps or even embroidery to spruce them up a bit, but I think they're lovely just like this!

(Now I'm going to go do some housework and try not to worry that they've killed-off Sawyer in LOST tonight!)

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"My beloved is to me a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En-gedi ..."
-Song of Solomon 1:14

Rubber Stamp Embroidery Pattern | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 18

Day Eighteen - It's one crafty scene.

Today's crafty flower idea for 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days is to use your flower rubber stamps as patterns for embroidery!

I'm going to make a little felt patch, but you could use any fabric that can be embroidered on or even paper!

DISCLAIMER: Um...this is not an *embroidery* tutorial 'cause...you know...I'm just learning to do that myself so I'm no expert...actually I'm not a stamping expert either so...(heh-heh) just get what ya can out of it, k?

Here's what you need to get started:

-Rubber Stamps
-Marker
-Felt (or Fabric) on which to embroider
-Needle & embroidery thread
-Embroidery Hoop
-Scissors

Step One

Use a light colored marker to ink up your stamp.  I'm using a Zig brush marker (english lavender) here.

I use a marker instead of an ink pad for this technique because I have more control over how much ink is applied and where it is applied.

You want to use a light color because you want it to be just barely visible for your pattern.

Tip:

If you don't have an acrylic block for your acrylic stamps (or if you have several but you can't find *any* of them because your craft table is such a mess *cough*) then you can use an old cd case or the lid of a clear plastic container like I've done here.

Step Two

Press your stamp on to the felt or fabric with even pressure to make your pattern.

Step Three

Place your felt or fabric in an embroidery hoop and embroider! 

If you're embroidering on felt be careful not to pull your stitches too tightly or they will all but disappear in the felt (I found this out the hard way...heh-heh)



Step Four

Once your complete your embroidery you can cut it out and apply it to all sorts of other craft projects.  I'm thinking of putting mine on a felt cell phone cozy for my new phone! (a pink razr- my first upgrade in five years ha! - more on that later.)

 

If you've sent me an email in the last week or so I'm slowly working my way through them and I'll be replying soon!

Have a great Wednesday crafty friends! - See you tomorrow!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The desert and dry land will become happy; the desert will be glad and will produce flowers. Like a flower, it will have many blooms. It will show its happiness, as if it were shouting with joy."
-Isaiah 35:1

Altered Reusable Grocery Bags! | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days-Day 17

Day Seventeen - You're a Flower Queen!

It's day 17 of the 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days extravaganza!  Woo-hoo!

Today we're using silk flowers (and a little fabric & buttons) to gussie up those ugly (but important) reusable shopping bags!

(gussie up - that's Texan for make 'em pretty)

I got mine on sale when my Albertson's was going out of business and now I really don't like taking them to other stores because of the big (and mega-ugly) Alberston's logo on them.

I first got the idea of "altering" them at this little blog: ferferly.  She has a wonderful tutorial for creating a pocket to cover the logo.

My bags were different than hers though and I'm not quite as good a seamstress so this is my solution.

(I think you could do this completely with hot glue too if you are not a sewy sew kinda gal.)

Here's what you need to get started:

 

-A reusable shopping bag with an ugly logo (or not)
-Silk flowers (or polyester - the dollar store usually has bunches of them for...well a dollar, heh-heh)
-Fabric Scraps
-Hot Glue gun
-Needle & thread
-Sewing Machine (optional)

Step One

Cut out the the fabric to the size needed to cover the logo. 

Step Two

Layout the flowers in the design/pattern of your choice and pin them to the fabric.

Step Three

I sewed around the edges of my fabric square to make it look sewn-on.  I left raw edges because I like that look, but you could turn the seams under if you prefer a neater look.

In hind-sight I should have done that *before* pinning the flowers on.  It would just be easier.  Now you don't have to make that mistake though.  Aren't I awesome?  I'm always workin' for ya to figure things out. heh-heh.

Step Four

Now select the buttons for your flower centers and sew them on by hand.

Step Five



Attach your fabric square to the bag.  I used hot glue, but you could hand sew it or even hot glue velcro strips to both the bag and the fabric so that the fabric could be removed for washing!

That's it! 

Now you have a pretty bag to take shopping!   

And you can create so many different designs with this idea too! 

You could do a patchwork of different fabrics instead of just one.  You could even use appliqué or embroidery or cross-stitch to decorate the fabric!

You could also hot glue only around three sides to create a pocket (similar to what ferferly did with hers)!

If you don't already have some reusable grocery bags (with mega ugly logos on them) you can get some very nice plain ones to decorate here.


Ok! Go make some fun & flowery shopping bags and say no to plastic!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"At that time the Lord All-Powerful will be like a beautiful crown, like a wonderful crown of flowers for His people."
-Is 28:5

Packing Tape Image Transfer Flower | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 16

Day Sixteen - Crafty McBean!

Happy Memorial Day!

It's week 5 of my 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!

Today's crafty flower is a packing tape transfer! This is such a fun and easy technique.

It's especially fun with kiddos.  They can create their own little scrapbooks or journals full of transfers.

It's also a great way to include images from magazines and old books for your lapbooks in homeschooling  

If you want to include larger images or maps in your lapbooking, you can use clear contact paper instead of packing tape.

Here's what you need to get started:

 

-Packing Tape (the cheaper the better) or clear contact paper
-an image from a magazine, old calendar, junk mail, packaging, newspaper, photos printed on a laser printer (ink jet won't work)
-bone folder
-water
-Optional ribbon & tags to decorate

Step One

 
Cut out the image you want to transfer and cover it with packing tape.  Burnish with a bone folder or the back of a spoon.

Make sure there are no air pockets or bubbles.

Step Two

You can now soak the image in a bowl of water for 15 to 20 minutes or (if you're in a hurry) hold the image under running water until the paper is thoroughly saturated.

 
You should begin to see the image through the back of the paper when it is saturated. 

This will take longer the thicker your backing paper is.

Step Three

Begin rubbing the backing paper off under the running water.

 

For a distressed look ruse a sponge to create scratches in the image.

 

Let the image dry for a few minutes.  The backing will remain sticky.

Step Four

Layer your image over patterned paper, old maps, sheet music, or other collage material.

Step Five

Burnish your image to the background paper and trim.

That's it! 

Now you have a transfered image that you can use for a scrapbook page embellishment, in your journal, as a tag, on a handmade card, as part of a school project and all kinds of fun crafty ideas!

I punched a hole in mine and tied on some ribbon for a tag to add to my tag tree!

Hope you're having a fun holiday weekend!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
---------------------------------------------------------
"Now the top pieces on the pillars of the porch were made to look like lily flowers, as tall as a man."
-1 Kings 7:19

Fabulous Fabric Floral Fun | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 15

 Day Fifteen Oh jumpin' jelly beans!

*ignoring the groans at my lame rhyme*



Yay day 15!  I'm so glad you've been enjoying the links.  Thanks so much for your emails.  I owe lots of you replies still, but it's gonna take me a little time. 

Please know that I'm reading them all and checking out your amazing links as I am able!

Don't forget if you have a flower tutorial you'd like to see featured, you've created a flower that you would like to see in the Flower Power gallery  (coming soon) or you know of a great link please email me and let me know! 

So let's get to today's featured flower tutorials:

Molly Chicken's

Raggy Flowers

Fabric Flowers


You may remember Molly Chicken from when I featured her in my Neat-O links. 

Of course she has not one but *two* amazing tutorials for flowers.  She even has super sweet tiny little button & embroidery flowers in her header! 

and

Blair Peter's Wise Craft

Links to flower tutorials could not be complete without a link to the lovely Wise Craft blog. 

She has a beautiful fabric flower tutorial (among many other wonderful things at which to drool look).


So that's it for today.  I'll be back Monday with more flower tutorials of my own to share! 


Just a reminder, if you're reading in a feed reader I've updated the sidebars with some new links!


And a little favor to ask, if you have time today would you stop in at Top Momma and vote for me by clicking on the "Pink Paper Peppermints" square? 

I sure would love to have your vote and maybe make it to the Top Momma Hall of Fame - Woo-hoo! (too bad you don't get points for rhyming, huh?)


Ok make some flowers this weekend and come back Monday for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
---------------------------------------------------------
 "Let us get up early and go to the grape-fields. Let us see if the buds are on the vines, and if its flowers have opened."
-Song of Solomon 7:12

Five Point Ribbon and Hairpin FLower Tutorials | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day 14

 Day Fourteen and I'm a flower machine!



Fourteen crafty flower tutorials and counting -- we're half way there, can you believe it?  I think you're gonna *love* today's links.  (My tutorials will be back in full swing on Monday.)

In the meantime if you have a flower tutorial you'd like to see featured or you know of a great link please email me and let me know! 

Today's features are:

Sharon B's In a Minute Ago


A fabulous tutorial on how to make a five-pointed ribbon flower!

and

Susan Mentrak's Joybucket


She has a really neat tutorial on making a little puffy flower hairpin.  I think you could also make so many other things with this style of flower!

Ok have fun with these and come back tomorrow for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
---------------------------------------------------------
 "The mandrake flowers give their sweet smell, and all the best fruits are at our gates." 
-Song of Solomon 7:13

Puffy Fabric & Frayed Fabric Flowers | 31 crafty flowers in 31 days Day 13

 Day Thirteen Lean & Mean



Hey guys!  Hope you're havin' fun with 31 flowers!   For the next couple of days I'll be posting my favorite flower tutorials by other crafty ladies around the blogosphere!

If you have a flower tutorial you'd like to see featured or you know of a great link please email me and let me know! 

Today's features are:

Maize's Diary: Frayed Flower

Super cute flower made of frayed fabric strips! 

and

Artsy-Craftsy Babe: Fluffy Flower

This is a two for one because she has some fun button flowers in her header! Love those! 

Plus a tutorial for a pretty flower made with a unique hand sewn fabric petal technique! 

She also has a free tote bag pattern to download in the sidebar! Woo-hoo!


Ok have fun with these and come back tomorrow for more 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
---------------------------------------------------------
 "If you value Wisdom and hold tightly to her, great honors will be yours. It will be like wearing a glorious crown of beautiful flowers." 
-Proverbs 4:8-10

Foldable Paper Heart Flower Book Card | 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days - Day Twelve

Day Twelve it's time to delve!

(Ha! Rhyming is back due to popular demand!  Ok, it was only a couple of  people, but still, every vote counts right?)

**Sorry about the the delay and the crazy formatting guys!  Typepad is really not behaving today and thinks everything should be red Arial no matter how many times I try to change it.  Earlier I couldn't even get on though, so at least now I can post...hopefully!**


Today's flower is a fun foldable! 

It can be used as an invitation, a handmade card, for journaling on a scrapbook page or for a foldable booklet in a lapbook!

Here's what you need to get started:

-Foldable Template Pattern (download here)
-Scrapbook Paper
-Ribbon
-Glassine Envelope or 3x6 envelope
-Bone Folder
-Scissors
-Pencil
-Adhesive

Step One

First print and cut out the template pattern for the flower card.

 

Next trace the template onto your patterned paper.

Step Two

Cut out your flower.

Step Three

Cut and attach a center for your flower. 

I used graph paper (my latest obsession) for this, but you could use any patterned paper.

Step Four

Fold and score the flower with a bone folder along the lines indicated on the pattern.


When you're finished your flower should look something like the above photo.

Step Six

Next you're going to push in the the two side hearts like so:



Your flower/heart should look similar to this from the top:

Continue folding and press your flower into a flat heart-shaped card then add your message to the inside.

Step Seven

Now we'll place it in a pretty glassine envelope and tie it with a sweet ribbon tie.

 

This is especially nice for shower invitations, announcements and handmade cards. 

If you don't have glassine envelopes the flowers will fit in a regular 3x6 envelope.

 (or you can get some glassines from my shop here!)

Step Eight

To tie your ribbon, fold the envelope down to create a flap and punch two holes about an inch and a half apart.



Next thread your ribbon through the holes from front to back.


Now flip your glassine envelope over to the back and cross the ribbon ends over each other:



Thread the ends of the ribbon pieces into those opposite holes:



Finally flip your envelope over once more and pull out the ribbon strips:






That's it!  Now you have a pretty invitation or handmade card that looks like a heart and opens up to a flower!




I'd love to see what you make with these so send me some links!


Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"The LORD will bring about justice and praise in every nation on earth, like flowers blooming in a garden."
-Isaiah 61:11

Watercolor Chipboard Flowers | 31 Crafty Flowers Day Eleven

Hey Welcome Back! 

It's week 3 of my 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!

Today's flower is a Watercolor Chipboard flower. 

It's super easy and can be used in all kinds of crafts!

Here's what you need to get started:



-Watercolor crayons
-Water & paintbrush
-Chipboard (thin, like cereal box, notepad backing, etc.)
-Sequins (or other embellishments for center) 

Step One

First draw your flower and fill it in with watercolor crayons.  I like to use two contrasting colors for the outline and the fill.  Here I used red and pink.

Step Two

Now dip your brush lightly in the water and blend the color on the petals.

The chipboard will turn dark as you blend, but don't worry this will dry.

Step Three

Next cut your flower out.  It should look something like this:

Step Four

Now it's time to give your flower that distressed look. 

While it's still damp, crumple it up, being careful not to tear the edges.  (Although if you do tear the edges don't worry about it, it will just add to the distressed look.)

Step Five

Unfold your flower and let it dry for 10-15 minutes before adding the sequin center.

Step Six

You can use glue dots to attach the sequins or sew them on with needle and thread.

That's it!  Now you have a gorgeous watercolor chipboard flower. 

These are perfect for scrapbook pages like mine below or:

-journal covers
-mixed media collages
-shadow boxes
-handmade cards

Have fun!

♥ Grace & Peace,

Melissa~
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"The lampstand was made of hammered gold from its base to the decorative flowers on top, exactly like the pattern the LORD had described to Moses."
-Numbers 8:4

31 Crafty Flowers Day Ten - Childhood Memories of Daisy Chains

Day Ten - Let's back it up and do it again!

(ok these are starting to not make sense...that was from a high school cheer we used to do!  I may have to quit with the rhyming. Really...don't try to stop me...)

This morning I was noticing my neighbors weeds wildflowers behind their fence and I remembered how when I was a little girl we would sit in the grass giggling and talking and making daisy chains from Clover flowers during recess.  Did you ever do that?

Well I thought that would be a fun crafty flower for today!  It may be a short-lived craft, but the memories will last forever!

So here's what you need to get started:

A Patch of Wildflowers!

Step One

First pick a bunch of pretty wildflowers like clovers, dandelions or these buttercups (is that what these are called?).

Step Two

Next choose the flowers with the thickest stems. 

How many you need will depend on whether you want to make a crown of flowers, a necklace of flowers or a bracelet of flowers. 

We used to always make bracelets so that's what I've made today. 

You need about 8 flowers for a bracelet.

Step Three

Strip off the leaves & any extra buds of your flowers.

Step Four

Make a little slit in the stem of the first flower with your fingernail if you're a little girl (if you're a grown up you can use an exacto knife, but what fun is that?)

Step Five

Place the end of the second stem through the slit and pull the flower down.

Step Six

Keep adding to your chain by making a slit in each successive flower and feeding the next flower through.

When you get the chain long enough, make a slit in the top of the first flower stem and feed the last flower through it to close the chain.

That's it! You have a pretty flower chain to wear now!

If you have little girls they will probably really love this crafty nature fun, but my boys were more interested in all the little bugs that were crawling out of the flowers I picked!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Don't forget today is the last day to vote (*cough* for me) in the Mommyfest photo contest!

Be sure and leave a comment after you vote for a chance to win a 1lb box of chocolate! Yum!

More flowers on Monday!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you..."
-Luke 12:28

31 Crafty Flowers Day Nine - Watercolor Button Garden

Day Nine - And We're Feelin' Fine!

Today's crafty flower was even more fun than I thought it would be! 

My little guy (who's five) really loved this one so if you want something fun to do with the kiddos this is it! 

The perfect mommy & me craft!  Watercolor Button Stamping!

Here's What you'll need to get started:


-Crayola Watercolor Markers
-Cotton Swabs
-Buttons
-Scotch Tape
-Scissors
-Paper Towels
-Watercolor Paper
-Patterned Paper 

Step One

First you'll want to sort through your buttons looking for the ones with the best shapes. 



Buttons with raised rims (like the ones above) make nice circles that you can then fill in with the smaller, flat buttons. 

Just experiment with the buttons you have on hand to see which make the nicest shapes.


Step Two

Once you've selected your buttons you'll want to mount them to something that you can hold on to.

I chose to use cotton swabs so that I could reuse my buttons. 

(For a more permanent solution you can attach a wine cork to the back of the button with a hot glue gun.)

To use the professional q-tip method (heh-heh) just bend the tip up like so:

And use sticky tape to attach it to the back of the button.


You should have a selection of mounted buttons to use now that looks something like this (a mix of rimmed, flat, large and small):



Step Three

Now it's time to apply the watercolor.



Use the watercolor marker to apply color on the button.  In the above photo I'm applying color only to the rim so I can create a circle to fill in.

Step Four



Next dip a cotton swab into some water and let a drop of water fall onto your button.

Swirl the button around so that the water mixes with the color on the button.

Step Five


Now hold the button gently against the paper towel to let the excess water be absorbed by the paper.

Step Six



Next press the button firmly onto your watercolor paper and lift straight up.



You need just the right amount of watercolor ink + water to make this work.

Too much water and your print will be faded and runny, too little and it will be dry and incomplete.

Don't get discouraged if it doesn't come out just right the first time, (especially if you're working with little ones).

You want to practice, practice practice until you get the hang of it, and like the shapes that you're making (encourage little ones to practice and play and enjoy the process - not to look for the "perfect" flower).

See, I practiced first and it was fun!

Continue layering the button stamps until you feel your flower is complete:




 


Step Seven

Once you've stamped your button flowers it's time to cut them out and arrange them on your card or scrapbook page.





Step Eight

I used a piece of patterned paper as the "grass" for my garden, but you could paint watercolor grass.


Step Nine

Next  paint your stems & leaves with green watercolor and your flowers are finished!



Hope you have tons of fun making these!  Send me pics!



Thank you all so much for the sweet emails & comments about the 31 flowers. 

It has been so fun for me and the fact that people from all over the world are having fun with their kids,  friends & families is just a blessing beyond words!

Don't forget to stop in at Mommyfest this week for free workshops and prizes and be sure and vote for my photo in the photo contest here!

See you all tomorrow as we wrap week two of 31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days!  Woo-hoo!

His Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"He sent Me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts.  They will be called "Trees of Justice," planted by the LORD to honor His name."
-Isaiah 61:3

31 Crafty Flowers Day Eight - Ric Rac Flowers

Day Eight - Let's Celebrate!

First of all I want to welcome all my new visitors stopping in from CRAFT magazine's blog!

I have to admit I was pretty excited to see 31 Flowers featured there today! 

If you look in the right sidebar you'll see info for subscribing to Pink Paper Peppermints either in a reader or through your email.

I hope you'll do that and stick around for all the crafty fun we're gonna have this summer!

Now let's get to today's flower made from Ric Rac! 

These are similar to the ribbon geraniums we made on Monday. 

What you'll need to get started:

-Ric Rac in varying colors & sizes
-Needle & thread
-Buttons & Brads
-Scissors

Step One

First cut your ric rac to size. The longer and thicker it is the larger your flower will be.  I make mine anywhere from 3" to 10" long.

Step Two

Next make a running stitch along the points of the ric rac on one side. (I used a contrasting thread so you could see, but you'll want to use a matching thread.)

Step Three

Once you've completed your stitches pull the thread to gather your flower and create petals.  Stitch or glue the end pieces of ric rac together.

Step Four

To create the center of your flower, add a button or paper fastener (brad).

That's it!  You can make lots of different sizes & shapes of flowers by varying the color & size of the ric rac.

These would be so cute sewn on a tote bag, glued on a barrette or used for a scrapbook page or handmade card!  I think they would look especially cute paired with denim!

Have fun making them and send me links & emails so I can add you to our gallery!

Don't forget about Mommyfest going on this week, lots of prizes & giveaways! 

Remember you can vote here (*ahem* for me) everyday in the photo contest and enter to win chocolate!

See you tomorrow!

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth..."
-Psalm 46:8  (the message)
 

31 Crafty Flowers Day Seven - Repurposed Magnet Flowers

Day Seven - Flower heaven!

Today's Crafty Flower is a great way to recycle those advertising magnets we all get in the mail! 

This is a such a quick and easy craft for the kiddos to do and makes a great gift. 

While making these I came up with so many ideas for these magnets so look for a post about more crafty uses for magnets soon!

Here's What you need to begin:


-Patterned Paper
-Buttons
-Old advertising magnets
-Adhesive
-Foam brush
-Needle & thread
-Scissors
-Pencil

Step One

Trace the shape of the magnet on the back of your choice of scrapbook paper and cut out the paper. 

This doesn't have to be exact as you'll be cutting your flower out later.

Step Two

Spread glue over magnet with foam brush and attach the paper piece you cut out in step one. 

Let this dry for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step Three

On the back of the now paper covered magnet draw or trace your flower shape.

I have a template flowers and other shapes you could use if you like. 

You'll need to shrink it down quite a bit for it to work for the magnet. 

Click here for the template.

Step Four

Cut the flower shape from the magnet.

Step Five

Trace and cut the leaves the same way you did the flowers.

Step Six

Choose a button for the center and stitch through the button holes *before* attaching with a glue gun or double-sided tape.

That's it! 

Your magnet is complete!

I have to warn you that these don't hold up very much weight, but don't they look prettier than advertising on a fake credit card? 

(and isn't nice to have them making your kitchen pretty instead of taking up space in a landfill?)

Have fun making these! 

I've received some more photos (thanks guys!) so I'm working on getting the gallery set up.!

Don't forget to vote for me in the Mommyfest Photo Contest! (click here to vote)

Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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Let cities overflow with food and hills be covered with grain, just like Mount Lebanon. Let the people in the cities prosper like wild flowers.
-Psalm  72:16

31 Crafty Flowers Day Six - Ribbon Geraniums

Get  your kicks - on day six!

Welcome to the second week of 31 crafty flowers in 31 days!

Today's crafty flower is so simple you'll be making dozens of these for all kinds of projects!  It's the ribbon geranium.

Here's what you need to begin:

-Pink, Red, and Green ribbon in varying lengths and widths
-Needle and Thread
-Fabric or cardstock to create a project

Step One

Choose the ribbon you want to create your flowers with.

The longer and wider the ribbon the larger the flower you'll have. 

I used 11/2 inch and 2" wide ribbon at about 8-10 inches long for my large flowers and about 11/2 to 2 inches long for the small flowers and leaves.

(Ribbons less than half an inch wide don't work very well for this particular flower)

I'm using a light ribbon and contrasting thread here so that you can see the stitches, but you'll want to choose matching thread for your flowers.

To make the flower take a long, loose gathering stitch down the center of your ribbon.

Step Two

 
When you get to the end, gently pull the thread so the ribbon begins to gather.  Play with the ribbon as you pull to create a shape that you like.

When you're finished your ribbon should look something like this:

Take a quick stitch at the end to hold the ribbon in place.

StepThree

To make the leaves you can use the exact same stitch:

Or for a more rounded leaf you can try this:

Fold your ribbon in half.

Stitch along the bottom (where the two sides meet).

Gather the ribbon into a petal shape.

That's it!

Once you've gathered enough flowers and leaves you can create a pot of geraniums like this!

 
I just used a little piece of gingham fabric and a strip of ribbon to create the pot.  You could sew this to a t-shirt or a tote bag or pillow!

If you're more the paper type you could make the pot from patterned paper and make a gorgeous card or even frame it for a pretty kitchen picture!

Have fun making these and be sure to send me links to your photos if you'd like to be included in the gallery!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Shameless Plug:

Don't forget to vote for me (Pink Paper Peppermints) in the Mommyfest High Five Photo contest!  Click here to vote.

(It's not just a plug for me you know...you could win chocolates just for voting...see, I'm lookin' out for ya.)

See you tomorrow with more flowers!

♥ Melissa~
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"Look how the wild flowers grow! They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of these flowers."
-Luke 12:27

31 Crafty Flowers Day Five- Fabric Flowers

Sakes Alive! It's day five! 

(okay, these are getting corny, I admit, but I wanted to see if I could keep coming up with them- heh-heh)

Even if you think you can't sew, these fabric flowers are super-duper easy!  You just have to try one! 

If you don't have any fabric lying around you could use an old sheet, clothes that the kids have outgrown, little baby things that you love (imagine giving grandma a flower brooch made from pieces of fabric from all her grandkids favorite clothes!), dishcloths that have outlived their usefulness and anything else made from fabric.

Here's what you need to get started:

Fabric
Buttons
Needle & Thread
Circle Template (I used a juice glass)
Fabric Marking Pencil (a regular pencil would probably do the job)
Scissors

Step One

First choose the fabric you'll use for the petals.  I love how different patterns & colors looked mix-matched, but you could use all the same fabric.

Next trace the circle template onto your fabric. 

The larger the circle you use, the large your petals and flower will be.

Step Two

Cut out your circles.

Step Three

Once you've cut your circles, iron, iron, iron! (remember how I feel about ironing?)

Believe me this really effects the look of your project. 

And the fabric is so much easier to work with when crisply ironed. :)

HINT:

Don't "drag" your iron across the fabric, but actually just press and lift, press and lift.  Dragging will cause your fabric to stretch and be misshapen.

See?   So much prettier!

Step Four

Now you'll fold your circle in half and then in half again, *pressing* after each fold.

Step Ten

Once you have all your petals folded and pressed, it's time to stitch!

Start at the bottom corner of the curved side and make long gather stitches across the curve to the other side.

(Normally you would use matching thread, but in this case I used a contrasting thread so you could see a little better.)

Step Five

Now gently pull the the thread to gather your petal.

Step Six

Once your petal is gathered begin the gathering stitches on the next petal without cutting the thread so the petals are connected.

Continue stitching, gathering and connecting until all your petals are complete.

Step Seven

Now that you're finished gathering all your petals you'll need to close the gap by stitching the last petal to the first.

Step Eight

Next choose a button for the center of your flower. 

I went with this vintage button from an old garage sale shirt.

(yes, sometimes I buy clothes at garage sales just for the buttons and tags!)

Hot glue your button to the center of you flower and your flower is complete!

You can attach a pin back for a lovely brooch, add it to a barrette for a little girl, use it on a card, a scrapbook page, a t-shirt, a tote bag, a journal cover.

I think a garland of these strung in a little girl's room would be lovely too!

So that wraps up the first week of  31 Crafty Flowers in 31 Days! 

I hope you are having as much fun as I am with this! 

Please send me links & photos if you're participating!

If I get enough I might even start a little gallery here for *your* flowers!

Have a fantastic weekend!

♥ Melissa~
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"Just as parents are kind to their children, the LORD is kind to all who worship Him, because He knows we are made of dust. We humans are like grass or wild flowers..."
-Psalm 103:13-15

31 Crafty Flowers Day Four - Pop Open Petals Card

Gimmee More! - Day Four!

We'll be making today's crafty flower with one of my favorite templates from Mirkwood Designs! 

The Hexagon Petal Card Template.  It's so versatile and can be used for so many cute cards!

I'm making a collage-y Mother's Day Card for my mama, but you could also use this as a foldable booklet (minit book) for lapbooking if you're a homeschool mama...

Or a cute way to hide journaling on a scrapbook page for all my scrappin' buddies!

So here's what you need to get started:

The Hexagon Petal Card Template (found in the link above)
Patterned Scrapbook Papers
Scissors
Bone folder
Adhesive

Step One

Print and cut out the template.

Step Two

Trace the template on the back of the patterned paper you've chose for your flower.

I used two different papers for the inside and outside of my card and simply glued them together.

Step Three

Once you've cut out your patterned paper, use the template as a guide and score the fold marks on the petals with bone folder or the blunt tip of a pen cap.

Step Four

Glue your petals together (if you're using two different papers) and fold them in one at a time overlapping as you go. 

You'll need to tuck the last petal into the first when you get to the end.

Step Five

Choose the base for your card and trim and attach it to a piece of cardstock. 

I used some gorgeous Claudine Hellmuth paper that I have been hoarding saving for a special occasion.

Step Six

Choose the materials for your stem and leaves.  I used some patterned paper that looked like buttons! 

You could also use ribbon, ric rac, real buttons, sequins, etc.

Step Seven

Print out the verse you want to use for the front of the card.  I always print mine out on plain paper to test the size, font and placement.

Once I'm sure that I like it, I print it out on the paper I've chosen (in this case, the same paper as the background).

The verse I used is below, 

"Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you, never forget what you learned at your mother's knee.  Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair..."
-Proverbs 1:8 (the message)

Step Eight

On the inside petals of the flower I collaged strips of paper with "lessons" or "flowers in my hair" that my mom has taught me over the years.  Some funny and some serious.

You could also put pictures of the grandchildren on the inside petals or a favorite quote or even a giftcard or a little cash!

That's it!  You made a pop-up/pop open flower card!

I hope you loved this project as much as I did!

See you tomorrow with one more project before a little weekend break.

The Lord's Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you, never forget what you learned at your mother's knee.  Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair..."
-Proverbs 1:8 (the message)

31 Crafty Flowers Day Three - Faux Flower & Ribbon Bookmarks for Mom

Yip-peeee Day Three!

Time for another day of makin' flowers!

Today's flowery craft would be a perfect little gift for mamas this weekend!

It's a bookmark made from loose silk (or fake faux) flowers, ribbons and buttons. 

It's super simple to stitch together, but if you have an aversion to all things "needle and thread" you could make it with a hot glue gun too. 

I think hand stitching a button is kind of soothing though and looks so charming on a project.

What you need to get started:

-silk flowers
-11/2" to 2" wide ribbon
-buttons
-needle & thread (or adhesive)

Step One



Cut your ribbon to approximately 8" long.  This might be a good time to iron it too if you are the ironing type.

 
Step Two

 
Choose coordinating flowers and ribbon.

Step Three

If your flowers are still attached to the stem, simply pull them off and pull the centers out (you can see the stunning quality of flowers I'm using in this shot, heh-heh).

Step Four

Arrange the flowers on the ribbon and choose coordinating buttons.

HINT:

It's a good idea to take a quick digital picture at this point so that when you remove them for sewing you'll be able to remember the order you chose. 

If you don't have a digital camera you could use a fabric marking pen or chalk to mark the placement.

Step Five

Attach your flowers with needle and thread.

You many want to sew the button to the flower first and then use a hot glue gun to attach both to the ribbon bookmark in order to avoid having stitches show on the back of the bookmark.

(I personally don't mind stitches showing...I think it's sweet and handmade looking.)

If you choose to sew the button flower to the bookmark, but still don't want the stitches to show on the back, you can sew or glue another piece of ribbon to the back of the bookmark to cover the stitches.

Once you've finished sewing your flowers on, your crafty flower bookmark is finished!

Have fun making these and maybe tuck one in your mom's Mother's Day card this year!

See you tomorrow,

Grace & Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers."
-Isaiah THIRTY-FIVE verse ONE

31 Crafty Flowers Day One - Mexican Tissue Paper Flowers

It's time to start talkin' about flowers! 

I have been thinking, sketching, web-surfing for and even *dreaming* flower ideas for weeks now and I'm so thrilled to finally begin sharing them with you!

In honor of Cinco De Mayo today's flower is the beautiful tissue paper flower, a traditional Mexican art form.

I have always loved these flowers and growing up in Texas most of my life I have seen so many gorgeous variations of them.

 

My favorites have always been the giant ones made from 6 to 10 sheets of tissue paper so those are the ones we're creating today.

Once you get the hang of making these though, there are so many ways you can change them up and decorate them!

Mexican Tissue Paper Flowers

What you'll need to get started:

8-10 sheets of brightly colored tissue paper per flower
Scissors
twist ties, pipe cleaners, ribbon and/or wire

Step One:

Decide the colors and pattern for your flower and how many sheets you want to use.  The more sheets you use the thicker and fluffier your flower will be.  I chose seven sheets of red, orange and pink.

Step Two:

Layer your paper neatly and begin to fold it accordion style from the short end. 

Your folds should be about 1/2 inch to an inch wide, but honestly this is a very forgiving craft so don't stress if it's not perfect.

When you've finished folding you should have a long strip of tissue paper that looks like this:

Step Three:

Next you're going to trim the ends.  This will determine how the "petals" of your flower look.

You can just trim the corners off to make rounded petals or you can try pinking shears or scalloped scissors for a more ruffle-y effect.

I did a little scallop cut on mine:

Be sure and save all your trimmed scraps for some fun collages later!

Step Four:

Now you want to fold your long strip of tissue paper in half to find the middle.

Then unfold and snip a little notch in each side right at the fold. 

Be careful not to cut all the way through your paper strip or you'll be making two small flowers instead of one big one!.

Step Five:

Use a twist tie, ribbon, a pipe cleaner, or a piece of wire to wrap around the center of  your tissue paper at the notches. 

I chose to use ribbon because I wanted to hang my flower from the spring banner in my kitchen.

Bunch it together and twist tightly.  This will be the stem of your flower or what you will use to attach your flower to something else (i.e. a dalrod for large flowers or pencil for small flowers).

Step Six:

Now carefully unfold the tissue paper one layer at a time separating and shaping as you go to create petals. 

Be careful that you don't get in a hurry to see your pretty flower or you may tear the delicate tissue paper like so:

(I...uh...did that just to um...show you *cough* what would happen...really.)

You can scrunch & fluff as you go to get the look you want.

When you are finished the bottom should look something like this:

To give your flower a little more rounded shape on top you can squeeze the bottom together a little bit like this:

And finally your finished flower!

 

Variations:

These flowers are so versatile and can be made in tiny sizes (think pencil toppers and temporary barrettes and brooches) or medium sizes for pretty bouquets and hanging decorations.

You can dip the edges in glue and then glitter for sparkly flowers or even attach little paper bees or butterflies.

I think they would be beautiful attached to twine in rows for a colorful summer kitchen garland or on the patio for a fiesta!

I hope you have fun making these!  I can't wait to see your versions so be sure and email me with a link to your creations so I can link you here!

See you tomorrow with more flower ideas!

His Grace and Peace,

♥ Melissa~
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"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”
-Isaiah FORTY verse EIGHT

Egg Shell Mosaic Crafty Craft

Okay, as promised here is the quick & easy egg shell craft.  This is such a perfect thing to do with your leftover egg shells after Easter.  Especially if you have sentimental little ones who can't stand to see their "work" thrown out!

What you'll need:

Colored Eggs
Liquid Adhesive (any crafters glue will do)
Old paintbrush
Cardstock
Design of your choice  (download link below)
Baby wipes or damp paper towel (for sticky fingers)

Step One

Shell your eggs and make some yummy egg salad! (okay, you don't have to make egg salad) Be careful to remove the slimy film stuff on the back of the shell.  It will prevent your adhesive from sticking.

Step 2

Choose a design to use as the base for your mosaic.  You can download the spring shapes that I sketched out here or you can do a google search for any shape that you might want.  Try looking for "coloring book pages" + butterfly etc. to find what you're looking for.

Step 3

Dab little dots of liquid adhesive onto your design (we used an old, cheapy paintbrush and crafters glue) and then crush pieces of shell into the glue.  You'll hear a little cracking sound as you crush the shell.  This is good, you want the shell to flatten out into the glue.

Work in small spaces and quickly so your glue doesn't dry out.

Caution:  The egg shell pieces can be sharp so be careful.  Mama may need to help little ones.

Step 4

That's it you're done!  Now cut out your shapes if you like to create cards or framed artwork or to put in your scrapbook!

Have Fun!

♥ M~

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"My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people."
-Eph 1:18 (CEV)

spring banner-licious (or how to actually make stuff instead of just thinking about it)

I had so much fun this weekend making something I have been thinking about and wanting to make for months.  As I was making it and praying about what kept me from it for so long the Lord really spoke some things to my heart. 

I hope that I will act on these things on a regular basis because they are essential in being the mama that I want to be.  They don't apply only to craft projects either, they apply to homeschooling, learning new recipes, getting organized around the house and lots more of my favorite parts of being a SAHM.

So here's what I made this weekend.  It's a spring banner (spring garland?) for my kitchen made from  spring-ish, pink & red papers.

{Bunny Trail: My kitchen is pretty old as you can see, but hubby and I really *love* the look and feel of old houses.  When we move from here we'll probably look for an even older house! 

It's funny how the "non-vintage" people that come over to visit almost always comment that we could "take that old vent-a-hood out and put in a nice new microwave with a built in vent." 

Um, why would I *ever* do that??? *LOL*  That vent-a-hood is one of my favorite parts of the kitchen! /end bunny trail}

I saw the idea of the banner somewhere online months and months and months ago.  The article was about decorating for a child's vintage-style birthday party (I think...actually I mostly looked at the pictures, heh-heh).  As soon as I spotted it I knew I wanted to do something similar in my sweet, old kitchen. 

In the photo they had used little vintage circus animals with party hats and balloons on the flags, but what I immediately thought of was using all my favorite scrapbook papers!

It turned out to be pretty easy to make.  Here's a quick tutorial in case you'd like to try it yourself!

First I made a template for the flags (which you can download here.  You may need to enlarge the template if you want your flags to be the same size as mine. The template came out about 1/2 inch smaller when I created & saved online):

Next I just traced it on to the back of the papers I had chosen and then cut out all the flags. (You could trace half the template on a folded piece of paper for less cutting and tracing, but I found I could fit more flags on one sheet of paper by tracing it this way.)

{Tip: If you trace on the back of your paper you won't have to erase pencil lines later.}

Finally I folded them around some bakery twine (so in love with that stuff) and used a glue dot to hold the flag together.

   

I thought about sewing across the tops of the flags, but the glue dot seemed to work fine and I liked that I could slide the flags around to the position I wanted them in or take them off completely if needed.

Then I hung up my banners and smiled.  a lot.

Every time I walk in the kitchen now I smile.  It feels like a little party is about to start any moment.  I love it.

So why did it take me so long to do such an easy project??

What were the three things that the Lord showed me as I was praying about this?

Well, I think I'm going to have to share that with you on Wednesday because this post is already pretty long and I have a bunch of stuff I want to make today! (sorry to "ryan seacrest" you like that.)

Updated: here's the link to part 2

See you tomorrow for Ten on Tuesday!

♥ M~
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"That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything."
-Mark 11:24 (the message)