If you have followed me over the years you will see I am a creative spirit. I don't feel like I have much natural artistic ability but I love to create things and I love learning new things. So this winter I bought a balloon stuffing machine. it allows me to put gift items and things inside of bigger clear balloons for a fun gift. I had been looking at it on Amazon for a couple of months and I was just not sure it was a very practical purchase it is not exactly cheap but I did pretty week over the winter at craft shows and so I decided even if it is not something I can sell I will have fun with it so I bought my stuffer. 

I had not idea that one purchase would change so many things so quickly. I learned to use the new stuffer and then I just got lost in all things balloons I found videos and tutorials and I have learned so much about the event balloon decor world. Balloons can be so elegant and fun and classic or modern. I am not sure I am ready to give up on craft shows because I do enjoy them but Balloons are taking over my life and I am loving it so I will have to decide by fall if I will leave the craft shows behind and focus more energy into balloon event decor. Pictured are the Easter Bunny Balloons I made we sold a lot of them. they included a stuffed bunny a handful of candy-filled plastic easter eggs, easter grass, and some additional small balloons. 

Reversable wood project.

 

have you been shopping for wood latley? well the prices of wood are crazy!! I love these wood characters so to save time and money I decided to use boths sides of my wood. I use pine wood I am lucky that there is a local person who often sells bundles of this pine on marketplace every so often. I believe it is leftover from the cuts he makes on a regular basis for his work. so... I started with some 3.5 inch by 17 inch peices of wood. I use wood glue to attach 3 of the together.  Then I use 2 more of the same size boards. with more wood glue I attach the remaining boards to creats a hat.

 

The rest is might mot need much explination as it can be done so many ways. I just paint or stain the wood to create a face and hat. for the faces I use stencils I cut with my silhoutte machiene to get the faces just right and then decorate and embelish by progject with a few dollar tree items like silk flowers and garland. 

 

 MESH AND RIBBON WREATH QUICK EASY INSTRUCTIONS

we made Valentine day wreaths for ladies' craft night at the Lovejoy Village art connection

a couple ladies could not make it and asked for instructions and a take home kit so I was happy to make this simple instructional video. the same set of instructions can be used to make any theme wreath that combines both mesh and ribbons. hope it helps.

 Easy DIY clothes hanger Snowflake

Have you seen these snowflakes. they are so cute. they are not expensive to make, they are very big so the make quite a statement and they are pretty easy to do. 

lets get started it is only a few steps.

first, you will need;

16 plastic hangers

zip ties

and what ever you wish to embellish your snowflake with

all supplies can be found at a dollar tree store.

first take 2 hangers and zip tie them together like this. you will need to do this 8 times.

make sure both hangers are facing the same direction!

lay them out to form your first layer. it will take 4 of the 8 sections we made in step 1. 

next you will add the remaining 4 on top joining the hook part to the middle part of your first layer.

using more zip ties connect your pieces where the hooks connect  and the more in the middle of your snowflake until it is sturdy enough to hold together.

Cut your zip ties down 

and embellish however you want!!

enjoy this large snowflake!!!

Here are DIY instructions for the mini wreath/ centerpiece project

 DIY Christmas ornament wreath instructions. 

I hope this helps anyone who wants to make this project!

Happy Crafting

 

                                                                

 

 

ORNAMENT WREATH INSTRUCTIONS

THESE ORNAMENT WREATHS ARE GORGEOUS AND THEY EASIER TO MAKE THEN YOU THINK!!

SUPPLIES YOU NEED:

1 WIRE HANGER

60 TO 70 ORNAMENTS IN YOUR CHOICE OF COLORS.

 THIN GARLAND

RIBBON OR A PRE-MADE BOW.

HOT GLUE, OR OTHER GLUE

A PAIR OF PLIERS/ WIRE CUTTERS 

 

THE FIRST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS CHECK YOUR ORNAMENTS. IF THE ORNAMENT CAP WHERE THE STRING OR HANGER GOES IS A SEPARATE PIECE YOU WILL NEED TO GLUE IT TOGETHER.  THE FIRST TIME I MADE ONE I DID NOT DO THAT AND SOME OF THE ORNAMENTS FELL OFF EASILY.  I USED HOT GLUE BUT e6000, CLEAR GORILLA GLUE, OR SUPER GLUE WILL ALSO WORK. TAKE THE ORNAMENT CAP AND PULL ON IT IF IT COMES OFF GLUE IT BACK ON.  *AS YOU ARE GLUING IF YOU NOTICE AN EXCESS OF GLUE IN YOUR CAP, IT IS EASIER TO STICK A PIECE OF WIRE OR STRAW IN IT TO REMOVE THE EXTRA BEFORE IT DRIES*

WILE THE GLUE DRIES TAKE YOUR WIRE HANGER AND BEND IT INTO A CIRCLE SHAPE. USING WIRE CUTTERS SNIP A SECTION OF THE HANGER (THIS WILL BE DONE FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE A CRAFT KIT FROM THE ART CONNECTION).  DO NOT CUT THE PART THAT IS TWISTED GOING UP TO THE HOOK. CUT UNDER THE TWISTED PART OF THE HANGER LEAVING ENOUGH WIRE TO BEND INTO A SMALL LOOP.

STRING YOUR ORNAMENTS ONTO THE WIRE HANGER JUST LIKE YOU WOULD ANY BEAD PROJECT. YOU CAN STRING THEM IN A PATTERN EVERY OTHER COLOR, RED, GREEN, WHITE, ETC. OR JUST AT RANDOM.

 AS YOU PLACE YOUR ORNAMENTS YOU WILL SEE THEY NATURALLY LAY NICELY BUT YOU MAY NEED TO ADJUST YOUR PLACEMENT IF ALL OF ONE COLOR SEEMS TO BE FACING DOWN OR TOWARD THE BACK. JUST MOVE THINGS AROUND AS YOU GO SO YOU GET THE LOOK YOU WANT.

 

WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO THE END OF THE WIRE YOU WILL NEED TO USE A PAIR OR PLIERS TO BEND YOUR WORKING WIRE INTO HOOK AS SHOWN. HOOK THE WIRE INTO YOUR ORIGINAL LOOP AND BEND WITH PLIERS TO CONNECT THE 2 PIECES BACK TOGETHER.  THIS STEP CAN BE TRICKY AS YOU ARE TRYING TO BEND WIRE WHILE NOT LOSING ANY OF THE ORNAMENTS YOU HAVE ON IT. 

YOU WILL MOST LIKELY NOTICE THERE IS A BARE SPOT IN YOUR WREATH NOW RIGHT AT THE POINT IT CONNECTS.  TAKE YOUR TIME AND MOVE SOME OF THE ORNAMENTS TOWARD THE EMPTY SPACE AND THEN FILL THAT SPOT IN WITH A COUPLE ORNAMENTS BY GLUING THEM TO THE NEAREST ORNAMENTS THAT ARE ATTACHED.

NOW TAKE YOUR GARLAND AND TUCK IT INTO THE SPOTS WHERE THERE IS EMPTY SPACE. I USE ONE CONTINUOUS STRING OF GARLAND AND WEAVE IT IN AND OUT OF THE ORNAMENTS.  IF YOU FIND ANY SPOTS LOOK LESS FULL JUST GLUE AND ORNAMENT IN PLACE.

ADD ANY OTHER EMBELLISHMENTS YOU CHOOSE THEN ADD A BOW. I LIKE TO ADD MY BOW TO THE TOP TO HIDE THE HANGER BUT YOU CAN PLACE THE BOW ANYWHERE AND BEND THE HANGER DOWN AND BACK BEHIND THE WREATH.