Christmas Hoop Earrings

Here are some Christmas earrings I've been working on for a craft fair. The wire is 20gauge tinned copper wire and is nontarnishable. The Christmas embellishment I got from Wal-mart a couple of years ago. You can use almost any kind of light embellishment like the one I used and even better if you make it yourself. I just had these left over and want to use them up.

I'll be sharing this craft along with some other crafts in an eBook I'm putting together. Until then, I have to get back to my crafting! Thanks!

Strawberry Theme Recipe Card and Whipped Strawberry Frosting Recipe

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Here is a free recipe card with a Strawberry theme and a recipe that my daughter Rel and I used for the topping on our most recent chocolate cake.

To use just right click on the image and save to your desktop or USB.

Whipped Phil with Strawberries

1 – 8oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 – 80x. Whipped Cream
10 – 12 frozen strawberries thawed

Cut the strawberries in tiny pieces
Put all the ingredients in a large bowl
Use electric mixer on high until smooth

Voila!

Here’s a photo of our cake

Red Rose Gift Wrapped Recipe Card with Rose Water Recipe

Christmas is right around the corner so I wanted to share a recipe card, I made, with you to use in a gift basket.
The recipe card is a 3×5 card with a parchment paper background. It appears as if it’s tied with red ribbon and a rose with leaves bow to top it off.
On there you can write the recipe for Rosewater that I’m going to share with you in the form of a video I found on YouTube.
First the recipe card, to use it right click on the image and save to your desktop or USB.

A very simple recipe for rose water is to add rose essential oil to distilled water but if you like to make it from rose petals here's a very nice recipe from Scented Gifts by Laura Dover Doran :>D

Here are the materials she used:
8 cups fresh rose petals
2 1/2 cups distilled water
1/3 cup vodka
Strainer
Sterilized glass container

The process:
Combine rose petals and water in covered saucepan, bring to boil slowly
When active boil reached turn down heat, simmer for several hours
Remove from heat, allow to sit for 2 days
After 2 days bring water back to boil then simmer for 1 1/2 hours
Set aside to cool

Pour vodka into bottle or container
Pour water through nonmetallic strainer into a separate bowl while pressing rose petals against strainer
Pour rose infusion into bottle
Makes about 3 cups of rosewater
If use rose petals for decoration be sure to strain out rosewater into another container before use.

How lovely would this be if this card with this recipe along with a bottle of rosewater, some rose scented bath salts and candles were included in a gift basket. What a great Christmas idea for a gift!

Here are some other books by Laura Dover Doran that you might enjoy reading just as I have enjoyed this book, Scented Gifts.

   

Hemp Beaded Anklet :>D Free Craft Tutorial

This is a hemp anklet my oldest daughter made for me a couple of years back. She used a very basic macrame stitich, I don't even know what it's called anymore, I think it's a square knot. I used to macrame quite a bit years ago, then taught my daughter little things here and there and she went on to teach herself more. Anyway, this has some pretty expensive jade beads that we got free from one of her aunt's collections of broken jewelry. She made this for me for my birthday and I treasure it!!!

And if you decide that you'd like to learn how to macrame and make something like this as a gift I'm sure whoever you give it to will also treasure it!

Here are some awesome links that show you the basics of macrame and then I'll share some links that show how to make a beaded anklet.

Half knot and square knot :>D Once you get to this page she'll have more instructions on macrame, more complicated knots that are variations of the half knot and square knot. She also has instructions on how to use beads with square knots.

Here is an excellent video on making a beaded hemp anklet without having to macrame and it is by Catherine of Eclectic Designs :>D




This is one of the many Christmas gift ideas I'll be posting, and I'll probably post more on this, and many more free craft tutorials so subscribe to be updated! My subscription box is on the right side bar, just fill in your email! thanks!

Candy Cane Ornaments :>D Free Craft Tutorials

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Photo credits: Shoreline Church

Every year for Christmas we make sure to buy a couple boxes of candy cane, it's really reasonably priced, and put it on our Christmas tree so when children or guests come over they can take one. We never really got into decorating our candy canes though. My children, when in elementary school, once made reindeers from their candy canes and they often received it as a gift from class mates.

I have made candy cane ornaments out of felt before. Those are pretty simple to do. I just drew out my own candy cane shape but you can also use cookie cutters to draw it out. Place the pattern on the felt (or cloth) and cut 2 out. Make sure to leave some space for the seam. Sew the 2 pieces together, you can sew it by hand or sewing maching, leaving a space to stuff. Turn the candy cane right side out and stuff then sew close the opening. Now you can sew a ribbon on the top to hang from the tree and embellish your candy cane. I've used sequins before, red felt, white sequins with a red bead to hold the sequin in place.

These are fun crafts that can be made up quick and sold as fundraiser items or to use as an embellishment on a Christmas package. A great Christmas gift idea ~ use the finished candy cane ornament and sew it on to a barrette or glue it on to a headband.

Here are some links to some other free candy cane ornament craft tutorials :>D

How to make candy cane Christmas tree ornaments ~ Candy Cane Signs, Candy Cane Hearts, Candy Cane Reindeer

Beaded Candy Cane Ornament ~ I actually received one like this from my beautiful niece! It's made with green and red beads and it's very pretty and sturdy!

Candy Cane Ornaments ~ Kid Friendly!

  Method 1 :>D Is so cute and geared towards little hands using just red and white pipe cleaners

  Method 2 :>D Is like the beaded candy cane ornament above

Here's another idea, no link here, take red and white pompoms and alternately glue them onto a candy cane shape cut out from card board. Glue a ribbon onto the top to hang on the tree. Very kid friendly is this free candy cane craft idea.

Lots more free Christmas craft tutorials, patterns, and gift ideas so subscribe to get updates. It's easy, just go to the subscription box on the right side bar and fill in your email. Thanks!

Wire Wrapped Sea Glass Jewelry :>D Free Craft Tutorial

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Photo credit: Natural Maui Sea Glass Jewelry

I am an avid sea glass collector. I collect many beautiful pieces many of them more than 100 years old. The history behind these pieces fascinates me. Sea glass is fast becoming extinct due to the replacement by plastics. So if you can get yourself some sea glass you are pretty lucky. Even here on Maui, sea glass is not abundant but we do find sea glass and when we do it's a treat!

I made that pendant in the photo. I didn't learn this by myself though. I searched the internet high and low to learn and now I'm going to share some of those sites that offer free craft tutorials on how to wire wrap sea glass as a Thank you for teaching me. While there look at the finely crafted sea glass jewelry they have to offer for sale as well.

I don't think I need to say what a wonderful Christmas gift idea this is. Every time I give one of these fine pieces as a gift the recipient is fully elated and so will your recipient!

Here's one of the places I found that has a step by step guide on how to wire wrap your precious sea glass shard. It is from The Sea Glass Journal. It's nice and simple to follow and you'll be so pleased with the finished product! I'll be posting more on this too so subscribe to my newsletter for updates. My subscription button is on my right side bar. Thanks!

Wire Wrapped Tree Of Life Ornament :>D Free Craft Tutorial

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Photo credit: Cut Out and Keep

Okay, I'm on now! and here's a beautiful, beautiful Christmas ornament that you can make for your own tree or for a gift. It's beautiful! Looks like it can even be a pendant. And the colors, I think you can choose whatever color wire and beads you like but it's nice to have a pattern to follow. This is a free Christmas craft tutorial given by Lisa H. for Cut Out and Keep. Thank you Lisa! In this time, when finances are shaky it's nice to know we can still give beautiful gifts to family and friends.

Okay! This is new! There's an embed option where I can embed the tutorial here so I'm now going to try that. Awesome if it works! 

See Wire Wrapped Tree Of Life Ornament and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Okey dokey so this is how it is embedded. I would go on over and look this up because it looks like an awesome craft and is a great Christmas gift idea too!

Halloween 2010 Maui

This is my princess...er...zombie vampire! She wanted to be a vampire but her cousin said she looks like a zombie. We made her costume. Underneath is black light material that she used 2yrs. ago. I just draped it over her head, cut a hole for her head to go through, sewed the sides for her arms, and made the bottom ragged. this year we added silver/grey tulle. I also just cut a hole for her head. Draped both over her head and pinned it in the back. She put her own make-up. We bought a tube of white stuff for like 88cents at Wal-mart. She had some red lipstick in her make-up case and she used my brown eye pencil. Then she used red food coloring to make blood drip from her lips. Here's a really spooky pic of her!

Perfect! She looks like she's getting ready to bite someone's neck here!

This is my grandson and his mommy, my oldest daughter. I made him his costume. It gets hot and humid here on Maui so we try to dress them up in cool clothing so they won't get hot and grouchy. The orange onesie I got brand new at a bag sale and it cost me nearly nothing. The black facial features I got from my kids pumpkin carving set. I traced it out on some black material I have and glued it on with Fabri-Tac™ glue. 

This is my son. He didn't wanna go trick or treating. I forced him too LOL! But he had fun anyways. He pulled at his cheek and said "this is a mask that can't come off" and then he smiled cheek to cheek laughing!

 These are the goodies that were handed out at my grandson's other grandma's house. She and her kids made these up. So cute! This is where we spent our Halloween night and we had just a blast! Good family, good treats, good food, good fun!!!

Here are some pics of their trick or treating. We were especially excited because it's my grandson's 1st trick or treat adventure and he was so good and just was so fascinated by all the lights. Didn't cry once!

Hope everyone else had as great a Halloween night as we did!