These Aren't Just Your Grandma's Buttons Anymore

If you're lucky like me then your Grandma has left you with a lot of really awesome buttons. If you're not lucky like me, then she didn't and you'll have to go buy your own from somewhere.... on the bright side, many times you can find great buttons at garage sales and thrift stores. Either way, here is how you make a bracelet out of the vintage buttons:

Step 1: Assume possession of buttons.

Step 2: Use some type of string or a skinny strip of fabric to thread the buttons through. I used elastic thread, after wearing the bracelet a couple times I find that I would recommend using a thin strip of fabric instead. Anyway, tie a knot on the first button to hold it in place.

Step 3: Add your next button, tie it into place to secure its position. If you don't do this you'll end up with all your buttons sliding to one side of your wrist.

Step 4: Repeat this tying process with all the buttons. After they are all in place tie the ends of your thread together and cut off any remaining string.

Step 5: Wear your new bracelet with pride!

Happy Bracelet Making!!

Beaded Bobbies

Is your hair lacking necessary flair when attending special events, gatherings, or maybe even everyday life? Are you concerned with what to get your female friends for Christmas when you have little to nothing in your bank account? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions I have a craft for you!

Step 1: Acquire bobbie pins, wire, and beads. I got my wire from the inside of some ribbon.

Step 2: Take one end of the wire, put it through the bobbie pin, and twist into place.

Step 3: Thread your first bead through the wire.

Step 4: Wrap the wire around the top part of the bobbie about three times (give or take), be sure not to wrap it around the whole bobbie.

Step 5: Thread on another bead and wrap the wire just as you did before.

Step 6: Repeat these steps until you have beaded your entire bobbie pin. When you hit the end wrap the wire about five times and cut off any extra.

Step 7: Make as many as you like. I had so much fun that I made 10.

Happy Beading!!

Reading by Candlelight

If you've ever listened to your grandparents or great-grandparents tell stories, you may often here tales of life before electricity. They tell you that you could not imagine what it may be like to read a book by nothing but candlelight. Well, you no longer have to imagine that! You can now create a candle votive using cut-up pages of your favorite book (I used "The Turkey Ate My Father"). Therefore giving you the opportunity to read your votive at candlelight.

Step 1: Buy some kind of votive. I got a couple glass ones at Hobby Lobby for 50% off.

Step 2: Take pages from your book or newspaper and cut them into small pieces.

Step 3: Drop some Modge Podge on it.

Step 4: Take a paintbrush and spread the Modge Podge around. Put one or two pieces of paper on it and paint some Modge Podge on top of it.

Step 5: Keep adding pages in a random pattern.

Step 6: When finished you may want to put a final coat of Modge Podge over the entire thing.

Step 7: Put a candle in it, light it, and read!!

Happy Reading!!

Knobbin

We've all been there (well, all of us lassies anyway). You've gone to pick out a necklace and found it tangled with another. You spend countless hours trying to pull them apart, sometimes you give up and say it's not worth it. Luckily this needs to happen to you no more. I have a super easy way to organize them to prevent this from happening to you again in the future AND it looks awesome too!

Step 1: Buy some drawer knobs or take some off existing drawers in your home. I got mine online for approx. $2 each.

Step 2: Find a board, frame, or whatever else you can think of for the backdrop of the craft.

Step 3: Take your high-temp hot glue gun and glue your knobs on.

Step 4: Secure to the wall and hang all your favorite necklaces on it. Never to be tangled again!!

Happy November!!

Totally Tubular Vase

Are you lacking a fall essence to your home decore this season? Does your dog pee on the floor causing you to go through paper towels rather quickly? Well, if you're like me then you can answer yes to both of those questions!! Luckily there is something we can do!

Step 1: Acquire a paper towel tube, hemp or yarn, and a hot glue gun.

Step 2: Hot glue glue your yarn or hemp to one end of the tube.

Step 3: Begin wrapping the hemp or yarn around the tube. Your first time around the tube you'll have to glue everything down after that periodically glue down the hemp or yarn, just to make sure everything is secure.

Step 4: When you get to the end you'll have to glue the entire final ring down to make sure no parts will slide off.

Step 5: Buy some fake flowers to stick in it. You could put dried flowers in it too, but refrain from putting live ones in there. Watering those would most likely ruin your vase.

Happy Crafting!!

My Friend Elmer

In elementary school I learned that Elmer's Glue could be used to do more than help you stick paper together, it could also adhere a fourth grader's hands together. I know this because I witnessed it first hand (well, not my hands). Fast forward thirteen years later and I have found yet another use for Elmer's Glue. It can be easily used to create beautiful pieces of wall art.

Step 1: Buy a canvas or two and a bottle of Elmer's Glue.

Step 2: On your empty canvas begin creating a design or picture with your glue. You could even write inspirational words.

Step 3: Once finished with your design let the glue dry as long as needed.

Step 4: Pick a color of paint (I used acrylic) and paint over the entire canvas.

Step 5: When finished let the canvas dry.

Step 6: Hang up on your wall however you chose, I made a series of three of these.

Happy Crafting!!

Rebirth of the Hair Comb

Who of us raised in the 80's and 90's did not see their mother's scrunchie drawer full of hair combs? Whoever thought that those hair combs are dead are very wrong. So, dig in the back of those drawers and wipe of the dust  and learn how to revamp those hair combs.

Step 1: If you can't find any left-over hair combs at home you can visit your local Target or Walmart, they sell two packs for about $1-2.

Step 2: Pick out a couple colors of thread, string, yarn, embroidery floss, or whatever else you may chose. Tie the first one to the end of the comb.

Step 3: Begin wrapping the string, weaving between the teeth of the comb.

Step 4: When you end a color, just tie it off or tightly wrap the next color over it and cut the remaining thread off.

Step 5: Rotate as many colors as you choose. I decided to only do peach and gray.

Step 6: Tie of the end of your thread and cut off whatever remains.

Now I tried to take a picture of it in my hair, but found that I was not so talented at holding the camera at the necessary angle. So instead I'll show you a picture from where I got the inspiration for this project: http://lemonjitters.blogspot.com/2011/09/diy-hair-comb.html

Happy Hair Combing!!