New Ideas

January and February always seem to be my cabin fever months. I feel couped up and stuck inside; I go a little stir crazy sometimes just itching to get outside and longing for the day when we can run through the grass barefoot. My goal this year is to stay creative through these months and hopefully that will keep me from getting too "Blue"!
I love finding fresh, new ideas. I have found a few websites that are devoted to crafters. You can post your pictures of what you are doing and give tutorials. I don't have pictures yet of any that I am going to try but I'm going to tell you about a few of them.

Themed Chinese Take-Out boxes: Take a Chinese take out box (you can buy them at the craft store or party store like Zurchers in all different colors) place a floral foam ball or square in the bottom of the box. Then take tissue paper and cover up the foam making the tissue paper stick out of the top of the box. Next you'll need thin, small dowels cut to size (I like 12" to 18")and either 5 or 7 of them(odd numbers look more pleasing to the eye). You'll be inserting these into the foam so it will be easy to stagger them. Here is where the fun and the theme comes in. You will be glueing or taping items to the dowels or you can tie them on with curling ribbon. So here are a few themed ideas: birthday, the possiblities are endless; movie night (packet of microwavable popcorn, gift certificate to block buster, boxed movie candy- you can find at Walmart for $1 or go to the dollar store), baby gift (binkie, bottle, shoes, socks, ect...) Candy bar (super simple tie candy bars onto each one. This works great as a teacher gift.) Get creative with your themes.

Doily Jars- I just saw this on a website where a gal took mason jars and glued doilies to the outside. Then put burlap and ribbon around the top with buttons and jewels for embellishment. So simple! And you can put tea light candles in them and they give a beautiful glow. She suggested using real doilies and not paper ones because they work better. These are beautiful, I am going to try them out.

Burlap and Satin Stockings: Yes Christmas is over but our matching family stockings only go through three of the kids not four. So this year I am going to have to make new stockings for the family. I don't really know how to describe these just watch for the pictures.

and Pre-School in a can: this is very similar to the can-o-dates, but instead of date activities it's preschool activities for your little ones at home. I am also going to do a "Summer Time Tin" that has a bunch of activities for when my kids somehow get bored over summer vacation.

Check back for pictures of projects as I complete them. Happy January to All!!