Interchangeable Magnetic Photo Cube You Make in Minutes

If you happen to have a small cardboard box around your house you have a unique way to display photos or even decorate for the holidays. A square cardboard box, with a tuck-in lid, is all you need to get started with the simple but beautiful conversation piece. And, when youre finished with the easy project, you can simply change the look of the photo cube any time you want, in mere seconds! The cube you use needs to have a lid and its the perfect box if the lid is attached and will tuck into the box. Box tops that are split down the middle can be taped shut and used for the photo cube, too. If the box doesnt have a lid you can cut a piece of cardboard and tape it in place. A square cube is perfect but the photo cube can also be made from a rectangular box.

Start by purchasing a roll of magnetic sheeting. Youll find it at any craft store. You can also purchase the magnet by the sheet but youll need to purchase two or three sheets, depending upon their sizes. Cut a piece of the sheeting to fit each side of the cube, including the top and the bottom. If you want, you can put something in the box to weight it, before starting the project.

After youve cut six pieces of magnetic sheeting, to fit the six sides of the cube, youll then attach the various pictures you want to display to the magnetic squares. Magnetic sheeting has a peel-away adhesive backing which makes it easy to attach the photos. Simply peel the backing and position the photo on the magnet. Trim if necessary. The first set of six pictures will actually be glued to the box. Glue one picture on each side as well as the top and bottom of the box. After the glue dries your cube is complete. To make it an interchangeable photo cube youll now make additional magnetic pictures. You can create particular themes for your cube or you can just cut family photos that youll use to change the look of the cube at any time. If you want to create themes youll simply make six new photos for each theme. Cut photos and images from magazines, cloth, posters, product boxes and other sources. Since the first set of magnetic photos are glued to the box the next set will easily attach to the first set. The magnetic sheeting allows you to simply stick the next photo to it. Display family photos this week, a Halloween theme later, then a Christmas scene during that time of the year. Theres no limit to the different themes you can make. Take things you love, like dolphins or lighthouses, and create a beach theme. Use other pictures to create a theme of your growing child. Select six different photos, which show your child as he or she was growing up, then make a photo cube with that theme. Its easy to make themes for holidays, anniversaries, graduations, or vacations. Dont continue sticking more and more pictures to the cube. Instead, keep the original photos glued to the cube, then add one new set over those, anytime you wish. The next time you want to change the theme just remove the old set and add the new. Stick with one form of images for each set. For example, make all the photos in a particular set out of paper or out of cloth. Dont make some of them from product boxes, some from cloth and others from photos. Although you can use the various types to form a collection of sets, the cube doesnt look quite right if you mix them. You can have one set thats all made from fabric images, one set all cut from magazines, and so on. Set the cube on a shelf, the mantle or a counter top. Display in a window or just set it on the coffee table. The cubes make great gifts and fabulous conversation pieces. Theyre easy to create and so easy to change - whenever you take the notion. Its an inexpensive way to show off your photos and holiday themes while investing very little money. Get the kids involved - its a great project for them as well!

How to Grow Upside-Down Tomatoes

Most of us have seen commercials on tv telling us how we can order kits to grow tomatoes upside-down in our yards. Its not necessary to purchase such kits just to have the unique fruits. You can easily create your own upside-down tomato plants, and for that matter, other foods. It isnt hard to take care of the plants and its easy as pie getting them set up.

Most any plastic bucket with a handle will work for growing the tomatoes. Youll have huge yields if you use, say, a five-gallon bucket. If youre looking for smaller plants you can use a mop bucket. Want something even smaller? A childs old Easter basket will work! If the container is plastic and has a handle youve got what it takes to create the upside-down plants.

Cut a hole in the center of the bottom of the bucket or pail. Use a drill to make the hole or just poke a hole with scissors, then cut it out. The hole of a five gallon bucket should be about three inches in diameter. Smaller containers will require you to make the holes just slightly smaller than that. Now youll need something to prevent the plant from falling out while the root system develops. Coffee filters work perfectly for holding the plants in place. You can also use a circle cut from a plastic bag. Cut a hole in the center of the bag or filter. Carefully push the tomato plant through the coffee filter with the roots hanging out from the bottom of the filter. Smaller tomato types will work best for creating the upside-down plants. Youll need the help of a friend, or a different setup, to fix the plant in the bucket before hanging. You can have a friend hold the bucket, while you arrange the plant, or you can set the bucket on a couple of sawhorses. Make sure the hole is between the horses so you can push the plant through without damage. Feed the plant through the hole of the bucket. Its important that you take great care when pushing the plant tops through the hole. Position the filter so that it lays flat, around the tomato plant, and against the bottom of the bucket. Now add the soil to the bucket. Add some soil, pack it well around the roots, then add more soil. Water the soil well. Using a sprinkle-type watering system, rather than a hose with much pressure, will give you better results. Water the plant until the water is actually dripping from the hole in the bottom of the bucket. Now all thats left to do is to hang the bucket anywhere you want. The tomatoes like sunlight so try to find a sunny place. Some choices of where to hang the bucket include a deck roof, porch, clothesline pole, or even a tree limb. The tomatoes will bear fruit soon. Until then, check to make sure the vines are growing downward, since they have a tendency to grow towards the sun. Just check every couple days to make sure the vines are not trying to grow up through the hole in the bucket. Besides tomatoes you can also grow peppers and other edibles. Large peppers, like bells, wont give you the rest results. Small peppers will grow much better in the upside-down planter than larger types. But, whether youre growing tomatoes or peppers you can still grow other things at the opposite end of the upside-down plant. For example, add extra dirt to the upside-down tomato plant bucket and grow parsley in the top part of the bucket. Every couple of weeks check the soil level of the tomatoes. If there has been some loss simply add a little more soil. This will ensure you have a good amount of soil to secure the root system. This will not be possible, though, if youre growing a second plant on top of the tomatoes. Upside-down tomato plants are all the rage because theyre beautiful, unique and yummy. Its easy to grow them in most any setting. You dont have to have a giant garden to enjoy juicy, ripe tomatoes. Go get the mop bucket and get started! Nows the perfect time to plant!

Lunch Box Travel Games for Kids

Some old, metal lunch boxes are worth a little money as collectors items. Others, however, are just ordinary and basically obsolete. Even though kids now have new means for carrying their lunches to school old lunch boxes can be restored into new game sets for kids. When you go on vacation, or when you take the kids along on a short trip, youll be thankful for the play sets which can keep kids busy for hours. Its really easy to make games for young girls or boys when you start with the lunch boxes and a few cheap craft supplies.

The type of metal lunch box you need to use to make game sets are the ones which are square. The top is flat and theres a lift-up metal hinge that keeps the lid closed. These lunch boxes are perfect because theyll easily sit on a childs lap. Make sure the lunch box you use is one that has no raised images on the front or back. Of course, if the lunch box youll be using looks good you wont have to do anything else to it. If its a little rusty you can sand and paint the box. Use paints especially for metal when you do.

There are many different game and play sets you can make when the lunch box is all set. In fact, when you use magnetic sheeting to make the games, you can make several in the same lunch box. Youll find the magnetic sheeting, sold by the sheet or by the roll, at most any craft store. Use the sheeting to make game boards, game pieces and more. Print out pictures of checkerboards or other games and affix them to the magnet. Simply pull off the adhesive covering, position the game board on the magnet, then trim away the excess paper or sheeting. These game boards will easily stick to one side of the lunch box. Go online and youll find many game board images that you can print out for the game set. Make a tic-tac-toe game by simply printing one out. To make the game pieces print small images on paper then stick them to a small piece of magnetic sheeting. The game pieces will stick easily to the magnetic game board. Instead of pictures you can make game pieces from colored pom-poms, plastic novelties, decorated milk jug lids, flat buttons, small wooden shapes and similar items. Just stick the lightweight objects to magnetic sheeting - or button magnets - to make the game pieces. Although some game pieces are lightweight enough to be held by the magnetic sheeting others are a little heavier and will require the use of button or flat, square magnets. Since the lunch box will only hold magnetic game boards which are no larger than the box you can make larger ones by cutting the game boards into four sections. Make the game board the size you want then cut it down the center. Cut each of those pieces down the middle and theyll all fit inside the lunch box. Now you can just put the four squares together, sticking them to the lunch box, and the game board can be slightly larger than the box itself. Board games arent the only type of travel sets you can make. Create others by cutting scenes from magazines. Use childrens magazines to cut out images of a playground, a classroom or even a flower-filled meadow. After attaching it to magnetic sheeting it can become the backdrop for the play set. Cut out additional images of animals, kids, a sun, vehicles, furniture and more. Kids can use these items to set their own scenes. Catalogs, posters, calendars and product boxes are all good sources for finding images you can use in the game sets. Inside the box you can place things that will help the child keep the play set organized. For example, you can add small, zipper lock bags for the game pieces. Or, kids can simply stick the game pieces to the inside walls of the lunch box. Use one lunch box to make a game set and a second box to make a cartoon character play set. Kids can take several of the fun travel boxes with them since they dont take up much room.

Hanging Flower Cones for Any Room of the House

Its amazing how beautiful things can be made for your home without spending much money. Whether you have to be thrifty, or you just love making elegant things on a budget, you can create plenty of new and impressive things for the home. One such thing is a hanging flower basket with a unique shape. Most hanging flowers are in round pots, but when you use a Styrofoam cone, youll create a shape unlike other flowers youve seen hanging. Group them together and create an eye-grabbing corner arrangement for any room in your home.

Styrofoam cones are inexpensive and come in different sizes. Purchase one cone, different size cones, or several of the same cones to make the hanging flower baskets. There are many ways to decorate the cones to create the look you want. Check craft stores for special paints that will give the cones a brass look, marble look or other finish. Make sure the finish you decide on is appropriate for use with Styrofoam.

Paint the cone with the finish youve chosen. To make this easier stick a long dowel, a pencil, or even a fork handle into the center of the cone. Now you can hold and turn the cone any way you want. Apply the finish to the complete cone including the flat end. Place the dowel or pencil into a cup or glass to hold the cone up until it dries. A different way to cover the cone is to push in dozens of decorative pins, glue on fake jewels, or paint the cone with glue and roll in glitter. Create a totally different look by tearing up pieces of construction paper, gluing the small pieces all over the cone, then allowing to dry. Polish the paper with shoe polish to get a shiny appearance that no longer looks like paper. Styrofoam makes it easy to add wire to the design. Cut a length of pliable wire, shape it into a half circle, then stick the ends in the sides of the cone just above the flat bottom. Make sure the wire ends are exactly opposite each other, on each side. This will create the hanger for the flower basket. The cone will hang with the flat side at the top and the pointed end at the bottom. Add a wire basket holder, shaped like a cone, by cutting lengths of wire and sticking it into the Styrofoam. Measure from the flat edge of the cone, to the point, and back to the top edge. Cut two lengths of wire to these measurements. The wire you use can be very easily bent; it does not have to be stiff wire. The wire can be colored and new or fashioned from an old wire coat hanger for a rustic look. Bend each wire into a "V" shape. Bend each end of each wire slightly. Push one end of the wire into the flat part of the cone and slide the "V"-shaped wire over the cone. The wire should run from one side to the other. Push the opposite end of the wire into the flat part of the cone to secure the first wire. Do the same to the second wire, but this time, position the "V"-shaped wire to run from the front to the back. Now youve created a wire holder for the cone. Glue flowers, leaves, reeds and/or vines on the flat part of the Styrofoam cone. Allow some of the floral pieces to tumble out and over the sides of the cone. Some of the vines and flowers can climb up the wire hanger for effect. Glue some flowers onto floral sticks so theyll rise above the others. Screw a "C" hook into the ceiling and hang the basket. If you want the basket to hang much lower use long pieces of wire as the hanger or tie on a piece of fishing twine. The twine is virtually invisible and nearly impossible to break. Hang a group of the cone vases, at different heights, to create a fabulous look for a corner in your home. Its fun to make the flower cones and theyll definitely draw attention from your guests. People will do a double-take when they see the hanging flower baskets that look unlike any hanging basket theyve ever seen. The finished project is inexpensive, unique and gorgeous.

Simple Hanging Pocket Mail Holder

Bored kids? Put em to work in the mail room! Well, not really, but there is a mail project young kids can do which is fun, easy and will help you sort mail, bills, receipts or other documents. They can make the mail sorter from things you already have around the house so it wont cost you a dime to entertain them. When they get finished theyll be proud of the new decor project theyve made.

A simple piece of cardboard is all you need to get started. Alternatively, you could use a thin piece of wood if you have it. The length of the board or cardboard is up to you. The child will be attaching pockets to the board, to hold the mail, so make the board long enough to hold two, three or more pockets.

With cardboard as the backdrop you have a choice of decorating it with fabric, paper or even shelf liner. You can also use leftover wallpaper, paint or even a poster. The same can be done with the wood. It can be covered completely - with cloth or another choice - or it can be used as-is. The amount of time and effort you put in to the mail sorter is up to you. Pockets from old shirts make great mail holders. Remove the pockets from the clothing and give them to the children to glue to the wood. Pockets can be all the same or all different on the completed mail sorter. Although you can use most any pocket for this project the ones with the straight bottom will hold taller mail pieces easier than pointed pockets. Ordinary white glue works well to hold the pockets on the board. Position the pockets, one under the other, with some room in between each one. To decide how much room to allow between the pockets its helpful to glue the first pocket towards the bottom of the board, lay an envelope on top of it, then position the next pocket. Keep the finished pocket board lying flat until the glue dries completely. You dont necessarily have to glue one pocket above the next. There are many different designs kids can make for the mail sorter. Turn the board horizontally and glue the pockets on to create one design. Make a different design by using a large, wide piece of cardboard. Arrange pockets randomly or create any number of designs. You can place two small pockets down each side of the board, with a larger pocket in the center, or you can make a board that has two sets of two pockets in a block form. After the pockets are glued on there are hundreds of embellishment choices you can make. Glue on ribbons and bows, buttons, twisted wires, twine, flat wooden shapes, foam shapes or even fake jewels. The craft supplies that you can use for accents are countless. Use things you already have at home or purchase embellishments at a nearby craft supply store. Glue a picture-hanging hardware piece on the back of the board or cardboard to hang it. Kids can make a standing pocket mail holder by using a really long piece of cardboard. Fold the cardboard in half to make an upside-down "v" shape. Stand the cardboard on its two "legs" and glue the pockets to one side. If the stand will be placed somewhere that allows easy access to both sides of the board use pockets on each side to hold the mail. The stand can be small, and stand on a desk, or can be large and stand on the floor. If you dont have any pre-made pockets you can use for this craft just cut pieces of felt or fabric. Fold the fabric to a pocket shape, glue the folded edges to the backside of the fabric, then attach the makeshift pockets to the cardboard or board. Create a theme with the mail stand, like butterflies or ladybugs, or just add pretty accents with no specific theme in mind. Spend time and effort making extra nice pocket mail holders, to give as gifts, or just let the kids throw a couple together for use in your own home. Theyll definitely have a great time making the letter sorters and youll be proud to hang their final creations!

How to Sew on a Hook and Eye

In the old days there was a tiny hardware set, called a hook and eye, that was used to hold some areas of a garment closed. Often, they were found above a zipper on the back of a dress, since the zipper didnt go all the way to the top. Zippers used to leave a small area of the garment open because of their design. A hook and eye were usually needed to close the area. The tiny metal pieces were sewn to the garment and used as a closure.

If you have a favorite vintage dress that is missing its hook and eye, or you have a garment that needs a little more closure, a hook and eye can be purchased at places that sell sewing supplies. The piece is usually sold in a pack of several for a buck or two. Sometimes they are attached to a card by thread or even wire. Snip the thread or wire to remove the set, which consists of two pieces.

The hook piece is just that - a hook. The tiny bent wire hook branches off into two pieces that are curled into loops. The two loops are the means by which the hook is attached to the garment. Position the hook on the edge of the garment and make sure the entire hook clears the fabric and that the hook is facing away from the fabric. The two loops should be just near the edge of the garment, on the backside. Thread a needle and knot it. The thread does not need to be doubled. Start by pushing the needle through the bottom of the fabric and up through the top. Now position the hook and hold it there while you stitch it onto the fabric. Go down through the fabric, passing the needle through one of the loops, then over to the other loop, and up through it. Continue going down through one loop, over, and up through the other, until youve got the hook stitched on good and tight. To finish the process pass the needle down to the underside of the garment. Push the needle through a few strands of the cloth, then begin pulling the thread through. Stop and push the needle through the loop formed by the thread. Pull the thread on through now. Repeat this step, but this time, pass the needle through the loop twice before pulling the thread on through. Pull tight and snip. The eye of the hardware is shaped something like an upside-down "U". The ends of the "U" are curled, though, and twisted into loops. These loops, just as with the hook apparatus, are the means by which the eye is attached to the garment. The eye, however, unlike the hook, is positioned on top of the garment, on the opposite side. The large curled part of the apparatus sticks out from the garment whereas the two loops of the hardware are positioned near the edge of the area. This time, start by pushing the needle through the bottom of the garment, up through one of the loops, then over to the other loop, and back down through it. Continue going up through the loop, across to the other one, down through it, and back again, until the hook is secure. Now finish by following the knotting instructions for the hook. If you happen to lose the tiny eye dont worry. You cant replace the hook but you can create something that will work as the eye by using just thread. Decide where the eye would have been positioned. You can mark the area with a pen if you want. Start by pushing the knotted needle up through the bottom of the fabric, across the fabric, then back down through the material to the underside. Do this several times and youll have a tiny stack of threads that will serve as a place for the hook to grab. Many garments were made with just a hook and a handmade eye of thread. Sometimes the old-fashioned ways worked great. One example is the hook and eye. If you have a tiny area that your zipper just wont close the hook and eye is perfect. Its easy to sew them on by hand and they work just as they should. Theyre barely noticeable and will keep that small area at the top of your zipper closed and secured.

Basket of Flowers Pencil Holder for Your Desk

What pretties up a desk more than a pot of flowers? Combine that with something you always use at your desk - pens and pencils - and youll have a unique arrangement for your desk that will fool everyone. That ordinary pot of flowers really hide pens and pencils that look like flowers! The type of pot you use is up to you. It can be plastic, terra cotta, or even cardboard. Cover it with fabric, foil, or even wrapping paper. To do this, cut a large square of the paper, then set the pot in the center. Pull the paper up around the flowerpot and tape in place. Or, tie a ribbon around the top of the flower pot, to hold the paper and decorate the flowerpot at the same time. Create a completely different look by gluing squares of fabric all over the flowerpot. Let the squares overlap each other, here and there, to create a collage effect. Decoupage glue, found at any craft store, works well to attach cloth to other objects.

Instead of wrapping paper or fabric around the pot you can set it on the desk as-is, paint it to a specific color, or even glue on embellishments. Some good choices are fake jewels, flat wooden shapes, decorative tape, stickers, or even cloth monograms. After youve decorated the pot you can then make the flower arrangement.

Select the pencils or pens you want to conceal. Perfect choices are slender pencils, pens, markers or colored pencils. Youll need quite a large selection if youve used a large pot so a smaller flowerpot is ideal. Cut a Styrofoam ball in half then glue the flat side of the half-ball to the inside bottom of the pot. This ball will be used to support the flowers. Paint the ball brown and allow to dry completely. The ball can be painted before gluing it inside the pot, if you want. Glue on Spanish moss, here and there, to help cover the ball and make the finished plant look more realistic. Dont use hot glue, and dont use a lot of Spanish moss, or youll have trouble pushing the finished pencil flowers into the Styrofoam. If you must use hot glue add the Spanish moss to the Styrofoam ball after youve completed the pencil flower project. Wrap each pen or pencil in narrow green ribbon, pipe cleaners or string. As you wrap the material around the writing instrument, trap a leaf, here and there, in the wrap. For example, start wrapping a pencil at the eraser area. Wrap the ribbon several times around the pencil, then position the end of a silk leaf against the pencil, and continue wrapping. As you go down the pencil continue placing a leaf here and there, then wrapping around the tip of the leaf. After the pencils are wrapped, and the leaves are in place, youll then create the flowers that will decorate the tops of the instruments. Pull silk flowers off their stems and affix them to the pencils or pens. Hot glue lets you attach the flowers right on colored pencils and plastic pens, but for metal pens use a bread tie wire - or another wire - to attach the flowers. Wrap the wire around the pen, catching the end of the flower between the wire and the pen. If one flower doesnt cover the end of the pen attach another and another. Use only one wire piece to attach all the flower pieces for that pen. Make all the flowers exactly alike, if all the writing instruments are pencils, or give each instrument its own look so you can tell one from another. Create different looks for your plants by adding some regular silk flowers, too. Mix the silk flowers randomly with the pencil flowers to make the plant fuller and more interesting. Present someone with a gift of pens, pencils or other instruments in the flowerpot youve created. Even if that person doesnt have a desk she will love the gift that can set on a night stand or a table. Make the flowerpots for young girls or for a mature woman. No matter who receives the gift shell use it for a long time to come!

Free Movie Night in Kannapolis, NC

I dont know about you but its getting harder and harder for me to afford to take the family out for a night of fun. Yes, the recession has hit all of us, but even before the recession it could be very costly to take the family out for fun. Even a simple movie could truly hurt the wallet. Admission, popcorn, drinks - it became expensive to have this simple night out. Even if you only purchase tickets, and forget having drinks or snacks, the price for such an event could still be more than you could afford in tough times. Whether youre worried about bills, or everythings running along smoothly for you, youll still enjoy a night out at the movies - especially when you find out its free! Owner of the Gem Theater in Kannapolis, NC, Steve Morris announces that he will thank loyal customers, who are now having financial struggles, by offering them a free night at the movies. Even if youve never been to Kannapolis, and visited the locally famous Gem Theater, youre welcome to attend the showings. And dont think the theater is going to con you into coming then show you an old, boring movie. Only the most recently released movies are shown. Mr. Morris calls his plan the Recession Buster and hopes that it will give some comfort to people in the area who are struggling just to pay the bills. Many of these people can barely feed their families let alone take them out for a night of fun.

Kannapolis is only one town in North Carolina that has been hard-hit by the recession. Locals have struggled for a long time now and continue to hope for changes. The Gem Theater owner wondered how he could help. Hes lived in Kannapolis all his life and is friends with many of the local residents. Experiencing their struggles alongside them he came up with an idea to at least give their worries a temporary break. A night off, without worry, can really lift the spirits. For locals and others this free movie night is something very special. Setting aside his own costs for running the theater and paying the fees to film companies, the theaters owner feels he can temporarily give the locals this luxury once a week. Mr. Morris generosity is providing relief from worry - albeit one night a week - for hundreds and hundreds of people.

Every Wednesday night, until further notice, the Gem Theater will offer the 7p.m. movie for free. Bring the family, bring your friends - theres absolutely no admission cost for anyone! Although the theater is a one-screen production, theres a balcony, and the entire place seats about 900 people. Thats a lot of free movie passes and a lot of smiling folks! Not able to attend on Wednesdays? The theater only charges $3 and $4 dollars per ticket on other nights. The less expensive tickets are for children and seniors whereas other adults pay a dollar more. Although only the movie is free, and visitors must buy their own drinks and snacks, prices on these remain as low as possible. With candy only a buck, and drinks or popcorn starting at under two bucks, a night at the movies can be one of your cheapest entertainment options today! A family of four, when attending the free showing, can have the movie, popcorn and a drink all for under twenty bucks. You cant even take them out for fast food for that amount! Mark your calendars for the next several weeks, and get the family together on Wednesdays, then head off to the Gem Theater. Youll have a great night with the family, itll cost next to nothing, and youll look forward to the next weeks film. Eventually, the owner will take away this offer - no one can give away free movie tickets forever - but until then, enjoy the freebie. Nowhere else will you find this deal so take advantage if you live in the Charlotte or Kannapolis area. The Gem Theater is located at 111 W. 1st St., Kannapolis, NC. Their phone number is 704-932-5111.

Clay Pot Angel Tea Light Holder

If you collect tea lights, or you collect candles, youll love this quick craft that combines the two. Its super simple to make a beautiful angel that is also a candle. The craft uses tea lights and a few inexpensive craft supplies. If you sometimes craft you may already have everything you need to create the beautiful angel candle.

A six inch Styrofoam cone will help you make the body of the angel. Wrap the cone in white satin and glue in place. Its okay if you have raw edges around the tip of the cone. It will be covered by the angels head. To cover the raw edges on the cone fabric glue narrow lace around the hem area. Other choices for the angels gown include white velvet, white lace or even white cotton.

Most people know what a clay pot is but many people dont know you can purchase the clay pots in miniatures styles. These mini clay pots are sold in bags of several at a craft store. They are inexpensive and one of them is needed to make the head and candle holder of the angel. Make sure the clay pot size you choose is large enough to hold a tea light. Its a good idea to take a tea light with you when purchasing the pot to make sure you have the right size. Glue the bottom of the clay pot to the point of the fabric-covered cone. Hot glue will help you attach the pot quickly. Although the project might look strange at this point it will come together soon. The clay pot will actually become the face and head of the angel as well as the actual tea light holder. Use yellow paint to create hair for the angel. Paint bangs then go longer on the sides of the pot. Now use paint or markers to make eyes and lips. A nose is not altogether necessary. If youre not much of an artist you can also glue doll hair around the pot. Use a sticker face to finish the angel head. The sticker faces can be found at craft stores and will make it easy for those without drawing talent to create the face. Painting clear nail polish over the face stickers will keep them from curling around the edges. Tie a gold or silver ribbon around the neck area of the new angel. Tie it into a bow, allow the ends to hang long in the front, or trim the ends of the bow short. There are many other ways to embellish the angels outfit, too. Glue on fake jewels, little mirrors, white pom-poms, tiny gold or silver bows, small round beads, sequin or other sparkly items. There are many different looks you could give the angel simply by gluing on your choice of craft supplies. Now youll need to create the wings and there are many different ways to do so. Shape wings from white chenille pipe cleaners and glue them to the back of the angel. Or, tie a bow of wide gold or silver ribbon, and use it as the wings. You can even twist wire into wing shapes, glue on pantyhose pieces, and create a totally different type of wings. Glue sequin, glitter or other sparkles onto the pantyhose wings. When purchasing the cone you can even look at the wing selections at a craft store. Never set the tea light itself into the clay pot candle holder. Always set it in a metal tea light holder before placing it in the candle holder. When the tea light is lit the head of the angel will light up and create a unique look unlike any other angel youve seen. Kids and adults alike will enjoy making the angel candle holders. If you want to keep the cost down on the project substitute the Styrofoam cone for a paper cone. The cone can be covered in fabric or used as-is. Kids can color or draw on the "gown" and further embellish it with buttons or beads. The mini clay pot and tea light are not heavy enough to buckle the cone, but if you want to add strength, stack two or three cones to make the angel. The angels look great on a holiday table, a mantle or a shelf. Theyre great for showing off any day of the week or setting amongst your angel collection.

Clothespin Designs for Your Home

If you have extra clothes pins you never use there are lots of great things you can make for your home. The clothes pin projects are inexpensive, easy to make, and can be fabulous gifts for birthdays or other occasions. If you dont have any clothes pins you can purchase regular or miniature ones at many discount department stores or craft stores.

Change the look of your curtains by gluing any number of items onto clothes pins. For example, craft stores carry miniature straw hats that can quickly be turned into an embellishment for your tie-backs. Fill the little hat with potpourri and glue a piece of lace over it. Glue on a miniature clothes pin and its ready to attach to the tie-back of your curtain. There are many different things you can use in this manner. Painted wooden shapes, small metallic pieces, or even little ceramic novelties can all be used, with a clothespin, to change the look of your curtains in seconds.

Do something similar for your lampshades. Glue a craft butterfly onto a mini clothespin then clip it to your lampshade. The little butterflies can be clipped onto other things, too, such as a potted plant. Craft stores are full of other things you can clip to lampshades and plants, such as a giant ladybug. Paint a yardstick a solid color and allow to dry. Glue clothes pins across the yardstick, vertically. Space the clothes pins equally across the stick with the mouth of the clothes pins facing downward. Glue button magnets onto the backside of the stick. Hang the yardstick horizontally on the refrigerator and use the clothes pins to hold pictures, notes and more. You can also hang the yardstick vertically with the clothes pins glued on horizontally. The magnetic yardstick can show off kids school work and more. Screw the clothespin yardstick to the back of your closet and you can hang ties, scarves and more. Cut strips of magnetic sheeting and stick them to one side of a clothes pin. Place the magnetic clothes pins on the refrigerator to hold notes and photos. Use regular or miniature clothes pins for this project. Paint the clothes pins, if you want, before adding the magnetic sheeting. Glue any number of flat items to mini clothes pins then clip them onto a Christmas tree. Cut out pictures your children have colored in a coloring book and glue the pictures to a piece of cardboard. Cut the cardboard to the shape of the coloring book cutout. Use a clothes pin on the back of the cardboard to clip the pictures onto the tree. Or, let kids cut shapes from Fun Foam and clip them to the tree with clothes pins. There are many different things you can make and clip to the tree. Theres a fun photo display that you can make using clothes pins. Use a Styrofoam disk as the base for the display. Spray paint the base gold. Use a small dowel rod to hold the pictures. Push the dowel into the center of the Styrofoam disk and glue it in place. Use hot glue to fasten clothes pins down the length of the dowel. Glue the first clothes pin towards the top of the dowel, then glue the next clothes pin a couple inches below that. Continue gluing on the clothes pins but turn each clothes pin to face the opposite direction of the previous one. When youre finished you can simply clip your photos to the clothes pins. If you want, you can add a topper to the dowel, like a painted wooden star or a plastic novelty. Each of these crafts work only with the type of clothes pins you squeeze to open. Clothes pins that simply slip over the clothes line are not suitable for these particular projects. The clothespin crafts are so simple to make that children will have a great time creating with them. Purchase some mini clothes pins, or use ones you already have, to create some fabulous new things for your home. Youll love the finished projects and youll love knowing they cost little to make.

Easy Faux Leather Keepsake Box

In the old days, shoe boxes were a box with a lid but nowadays, the lid is attached to the box itself and cannot be removed. These hinged-lid shoe boxes are perfect for making a nice keepsake box which is unique and easy. The box is perfect for holding photos, letters, documents and more. Its beautiful enough for a woman or girl but masculine enough so as not to embarrass a guy. The box will take few supplies to make it but, upon completion, will not look handmade.

There are a couple of different ways to make the keepsake box. Start by tearing off pieces of masking tape and sticking them to the box. This will be somewhat time-consuming. The tape should be torn randomly and no effort should be made to ensure each piece look the same. As a matter of fact, the finished box will look so much better if each piece is different. Tear long pieces, short pieces, and different shaped pieces, then stick them all over the box and lid.

Tape is the easiest method but you can also use pieces of paper. Each technique will give you a different look. Paper in shades of brown or black work best for creating a leather look. Cut the paper into squares or rectangles then attach them to the box with decoupage adhesive. The glue can be found at any craft store and is used to attach paper or cloth to most any other surface. It isnt expensive but will go a long way towards creating the perfect box. Paint the glue onto the box, position a piece of paper, then paint the glue over the top of it. Continue doing this until youve completely covered the box and lid with the paper. Whether youve used tape or paper to cover the box youll now use shoe polish for the next step. Use shoe polish that matches the color of paper youve selected. If youve used tape any black or brown shoe polish will work fine. Use the polish to completely cover all the paper or tape. You may have to coat the paper or tape more than once to get the color you want. This is particularly true with the tape technique. After youve used the shoe polish you can then spray the entire box with clear varnish to create a shine. This step is optional. Look in a department store or craft store for fancy tacks. You can also check with a local upholsterer to get the tacks. Push the tacks into the box to create the effects you want. Use the tacks to create a perimeter on the front, sides and lid. Or, just use the tacks down the two front ends. The design you create with the tacks is up to you. Even ordinary thumb tacks, in colors of black or brown, can become the embellishments for the box. Create a handle for the front of the lid. You can use a piece of hardware, meant as a drawer pull or drawer handle, or you can fashion a handle from a button. After gluing the handle in place the box is complete. You can now upholster the inside of the box, if you want, or you can leave it as-is. Velvet or felt work great as a liner for the box. Both are very forgiving to work with and look fabulous. Use ordinary white glue, or even spray adhesive, to attach the lining to the inside. Be sure to cut away excess fabric from the corners before gluing them in place. The box can sit on a shelf as it is or you can make legs for it. Cut and stain pieces of a wooden dowel or use empty thread spools. Other options for making legs include buttons, beads or even foam blocks. Glue the legs in place to finish the keepsake box. If you dont want the box to have a faux leather look you can still create a different look from the shoe box. Just use the tape, cover it with the paint color of your choice, then spray on the clear coat. Add the hardware and youll have something similar to the leather box but with a softer look. Its fun and easy to make the leather-look box and you wont believe how much attention it will get! Its useful, inexpensive and very easy to make.

Mouse Pad Wind Chime Project for Kids

How many mouse pads have you gone through in your computer life? One or two? Many, many? Even if youre still using the only mouse pad youve ever owned you may be interested in a fun project for kids that uses mouse pads to create easy wind chimes that never break. The craft is so easy and inexpensive youll want to make several different ones. Lay some newspaper down on a flat surface, get the kids and mouse pads, and get started with the whimsical creations.

Mouse pads are available in many different designs. Generally, the image is screen-printed onto one side of the pad while the other side remains blank. Youll need two mouse pads for each set of wind chimes and the images printed on them can be the same or different. Both mouse pads must be exactly the same size, though.

Use fishing twine to create the dangling items for the chimes. Fishing twine is nearly invisible and creates the illusion of the dangling items floating in midair. If you dont have anything similar to fishing twine use any string or thread. The string will connect the novelty items to the set of mouse pads. To begin, lay one mouse pad, face down, on the newspaper. Cut one piece of twine, fold it in half, and tape or glue the ends to the top of the mouse pad. This will create the hanger for the wind chimes. The hanger should be somewhat long so that the chimes will easily blow in the wind. Cut various lengths of the twine and glue or tape them to the mouse pad. Youll decide how many novelties you want to dangle from the mouse pads. To create a different design make all the twine pieces the exact same length. When youre finished adding all the twine pieces glue the second mouse pad, face up, onto the first one. This will trap the twine between the mouse pads and leave both mouse pad images facing outward, back-to-back. There are any number of things that kids can glue to the dangling ends of the twine. Beads, bells, small wooden shapes, and other novelties work great for this project. Kids can glue the tiny things onto the ends of the twine to make the actual wind chimes. They can select items that coincide with the theme of the mouse pads or create a different theme with the novelties. Purchase items to use for the wind chimes or use things you already have at home. Short, sharpened pencils, soda bottle lids, spice jar lids, broken costume jewelry pieces, plastic characters, and similar items can all be used to create the wind chimes. Large buttons, ping-pong balls, game markers or fake coins are other options for the wind chimes. Look around the house - especially the toy box - to find other choices. To make the chimes look completely different thread coffee stirrers onto each twine piece. Cover each twine piece completely in the plastic straws before attaching the novelty at the end. The straws will protect ordinary thread or yarn but also gives the chimes a totally different design. Coffee stirrers are now available in many brilliant colors that will look great on the new wind chimes. Thread assorted colors to make specific patterns or just make all the stirrers the same color. Screw a "C" hook or "S" hook into the ceiling of the porch or other area where you will be hanging the wind chimes. Use the hanger youve created to set the wind chimes out in the breeze. The mouse pads are so lightweight that they easily blow in the wind. The fishing twine and novelties will bang and clang together to form the actual chimes. Kids will have lots of fun making the mouse pad wind chimes for their own homes or to give as gifts. Grandma, Mom, Teacher and others will appreciate the unique and whimsical gift. Purchase cheap mouse pads at dollar-theme stores or implement old mouse pads you no longer use. This project is very inexpensive, unlike other wind chimes youve seen, and tons of fun for kids of any age.