Easy and Fun Paper Caterpillar

Making this Paper Caterpillar is as simple as making a paper chain. Add legs and googly eyes to decorate your spring caterpillar.

Things you’ll need:
Colorful paper
Googly eyes
Craft glue
Pipe cleaners
Scissors
Tape
Markers (to decorate)

Things to do:
1. Cut your colorful paper into strips. It’s easiest if the strips are no thicker than 3’’.
2. Take your first strip and loop it into a circle. Tape to hold it in place.
3. Take your second paper strip and string it through your first paper loop.
4. Make a second loop with your second piece of paper wrapped around your first paper loop and tape in place. This is the start of your paper chain!
5. Continue making your chain by slipping a strip of paper through the last loop you made and taping it into a new link. Stop when your chain is as long as you want it to be.
6. To add a face, draw facial features and add googly eyes to one end of your paper chain.
7. Add antennas by taping a pipe cleaner to the inside of your caterpillar’s face. Curl the ends of the pipe cleaner or create your own design.
8. To add legs, cut a pipe cleaner in half and bend the half into a “V” shape.
9. Tape the “V” shaped pipe cleaner and tape it to the inside of one of your chain links.
10. Bend the ends of your pipe cleaner for feet.
11. Decorate your body with markers, stickers, glitter, or other crafting items!

Memory Pennies

Have you ever looked at a range of pennies form different years? It’s amazing the subtle differences from one year or one decade to another. Pennies might not be worth much money-wise, but lots of people consider them lucky, and since they are all dated with the year of production, they make great keepsakes for a moment you want to remember. This project turns pennies date with important years in your life like the birth of your children or your wedding into a keepsake you can take with you always.

Time to complete: 20 minutes
Difficulty level: Intermediate

Things you’ll need:
Pennies dated with important years in your life
Hammer
Nail setter
Hard surface
Key ring

Things to do:
1. Pick a spot on your pennies to make your hole, you want it to be consistent from coin to coin.

2. Set the coins on a hard surface and place the nail setter onto the penny.

3. Hammer until the setter punches through the penny.
4. Repeat with the remaining pennies. Thread them in chronological order onto your keychain.

Guest Blog: DIY Butterfly Bouquet

Hello! I’m so excited to share an alternative to a floral bouquet, by showing a super simple and elegant butterfly bouquet that you can make at home! These bouquets are perfect for summer/spring weddings… think flower girls, bridesmaids, even for the bride herself (get creative!), or for table decor (even at home!).

Things you’ll need:
Butterflies (there are so many options to choose from on the website, I went with these)
Floral Wire
Ribbon

Things to do:
1. I used my floral wire to extend the height of the butterflies by clipping it at various lengths and winding it tight to the wire that is already on the butterflies themselves.
2. Pull them into a tight bunch and wrap with Ribbon in a criss-cross pattern all the way down and up the wire stems tiding a bow at the top.
3. Bend the top of the wires in various directions spacing the butterflies out as you like. Voila!

If you still want the floral look before you tie your ribbon on you can add flowers in with the butterflies, now you have whimsy and tradition!

Hope you’ve enjoyed today’s project, and link us up with your projects on here or face book!
Happy Crafting!
Lisa from Lisa’s Creative Niche

Upcycle: Decoupage Jars

I remember my cousin and I making these jars all summer. We had family and friends for miles saving every glass jar and magazine! With these simple items and some imagination, we created masterpieces to be given as gifts and used to store trinkets. We even made bug-themed jars to hold our grasshoppers and other creepy-crawlies.

It’s with some hesitation that we introduce our daughters to these jars. This might be their “Summer of Decoupage” and we’ll inflict these jars on a whole new set of neighbors!

Age range: 5 and up (must use scissors!)
Approximate time: 30 minutes to a whole summer
Difficulty Level: Beginner Crafter

Things you’ll need:
Empty, clean jars; lids optional
Mod Podge
Dish of water, paper towels, work surface that can get sticky
Foam brush
Scissors
Magazines, pictures, colored artwork, anything printed

Things to do:
1. Determine a ‘theme’ for your jar. Ideas include a specific flower, bugs, buttons. Anything you might store inside your jar makes a good theme for the outside.
2. Find pictures or words that relate to the theme and cut them out.

3. Lay out your design on the jar to get an idea of placement.
4. When you’re ready, brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the jar where you want to place your first picture.

5. Lay the picture over the Mod Podge, starting at one end and ‘rolling’ to the other. Try to keep wrinkles and bubbles to a minimum.

6. Brush more Mod Podge over the picture to seal it to the jar.
7. Continue gluing and placing pictures around the jar.

8. Check that all artwork is covered with a thin layer of Mod Podge.


9. Allow jar to dry overnight. Enjoy!

DIY Lavender Eye Pillow

Soothe your senses with these Lavender Eye Pillows. Either heat up in the microwave for a calming experience or cool in the freezer for an invigorating pick-me-up.

Things you’ll need:
Rice (at least 3 cups)
Dried lavender (at least 1 cup)
Fabric (two pieces that measure 7’’ x 11’’)
Sewing needle
Thread
Scissors
Ruler

Things to do:
1. Cut two pieces of fabric, each measuring 7’’ x 11’’.
2. Line the two pieces of fabric up so that the pretty side of the fabric is facing in.The dull side of each piece of fabric should be showing on the outside.
3. Begin sewing your two pieces of cloth together along the edges. Sew 3 sides of your pillow and tie of your thread, leaving one side of your pillow open.
4. Pour your rice and lavender into the open end of your pillow. Adjust rice and lavender measurements to your liking, but remember to leave enough room to be able to comfortably sew the end of your pillow shut.
5. Roll the edges of your open-ended pillow inward and hand-sew it shut.
6. Place in the microwave to warm up or in the freezer to cool off, and then lay on your face or neck for a calming experience.

Upcyle: Old Tshirts into Trendy Necklaces

T-shirt necklaces are a fun way to up-cycle your old t-shirts. Feel free to explore different designs and incorporate braids, beads, or pins into your t-shirt necklace.

Things you’ll need:
Tshirt
Scissors

Things to do:
1. Lay your t-shirt out on a flat surface.
2. Starting at the bottom of your t-shirt, begin cutting 1’’ wide strips of fabric width-wise across your t-shirt. Discard the first strip because it will be the hem of your t-shirt. Stop cutting strips when you reach the middle of your t-shirt or when you reach any unwanted writing on your t-shirt (about 10 strips).
3. Discard the top section of the t-shirt and gather your remaining strips.
4. Hold each strip and stretch using both hands. Pull hard enough so that the t-shirt strips round but not hard enough to pull the loops apart at the seams.
5. Cut all of your stretched t-shirt loops once so that they become long strings.
6. Set one string aside to bond the other strings together at the end.
7. From your remaining strings, select one and tie both ends of the string into a small knot. Take your next string, cut 1-2 inches off and tie the ends into a small knot. Lay this shorter loop on top of the first loop. Continue cutting, tieing, and layering your t-shirt strings until you achieve a layered waterfall effect with your strings.
8. Gather your layered t-shirt strings in one hand, and take the string you set aside in your other hand.
9. Make sure all of your layered t-shirt strings fall nicely and that all of the small knots are at one end together.
10. Tie the string you set aside around all the other strings to bond them near their small knots. Take care to leave a small tail hanging off the bonding string knot so that you can tuck it back for a secure necklace knot.
11. Wrap the bonding string around the small knots of the other strings and tie a second knot around all the strings. Tuck this knot underneath the wrapped string.
12. Put the necklace on over your head and drape the strings so that the waterfall design can be showcased.

Glitter and Mod Podge Votive Lamps

These glitter votive lamps are as pretty unlit as they are lit! Easy to make, they are perfect for a warm al fresco dinner place setting or to add a little sparkle to your mantle display.

Things you’ll need:
Fine glitter
Mod Podge
Jars
Foam brush
Disposable plate or lid for mixing
Tealights

Things to do:
1. Mix Mod Podge about 50/50 with glitter and stir well.

2. Brush onto your jar starting at the bottom and brushing upwards, depositing more glitter toward the bottom than the top, ombre-style.

3. Once the glitter dries, add a second layer, bringing the glitter-glue mixture only about halfway up.

4. Allow the mixture to dry completely.
5. Drop tealights into the jar and light.

Miniature Magical Fairy Library

There is something magical about miniatures. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved little things, and my kids are no different. So they are loving this miniature library that I set up in our den bookshelves. Look for a box that fits snugly into your shelf. It could be an antique crate, a cookie tin or a shoebox. If you are worried about gluing paper to something antique, consider cutting cardboard to fit into the box and glue the “wallpaper” to that and fit it in to create the papered walls.

Things you’ll need:
Miniature furniture such as a table, a fireplace and chairs
Miniature accessories such as a desk set, books, a lamp, cuckoo clock and tea things
Scrapbook paper
Glue stick
Box
Scissors

Things to do:
1. Cut scrapbook paper to fit exactly against the back wall of your box (you could do the sides as well if it fits with your box).

2. Paint any unpainted furniture and allow it to dry.

3. Arrange your furniture and accessories in the room, be sure to add lots of small details to help make the room look lived in.
4. Fit the box in between books on your shelf.

Crocheted Doily Sunprints

While doilies are, undoubtedly, delightful, there are times when you might not want the full foofyness of their style in your life. Perhaps your look is a little more understated or modern, or maybe you’re just looking for something a little different. Either way, these doily sun prints blend the modern and the old fashion in a fun and easy way.

Things you’ll need:
Sun print paper
Crocheted doilies
Water
Plate or flat dish

Things to do:
1. In a sunny spot, lay out a sheet of your sun print paper and immediately arrange a doily on top of it. Allow it to sit in the sun,
exposing the paper, until the paper turns white or according to the package directions.


2. Once the paper is exposed, submerge it in cool water for about a minute.

3. Set the paper on a flat surface and allow it to dry completely.

DIY Beaded Hair Barrettes

These beaded barrettes can be made with any kind of small bead. Mix and match bead and wire colors to create thousands of different designs.

Things you’ll need:
Small beads
Bobby pins
Craft wire
Scissors
Needle nose pliers

Things to do:
1. Cut a piece of craft wire that is less than 10’’ long.
2. Pull one end of your craft wire through the end loop of your bobby pin.
3. Secure your wire by wrapping it through the middle and pulling it around the end of your bobby pin 3-5 times. Make sure to leave a small “tail” at the end of your wire which is being secured.
4. String a bead on the the long end of your craft wire.
5. Secure this bead by wrapping your craft wire through your bobby pin and looping it back around 3-5 times.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until you are about one bead’s length from the end of your bobby pin.
7. Continue to wrap your craft wire around the open end of your bobby pin and cut off any extra wire.
8. Use your jewelry pliers to squeeze the small wire tails down into place.
9. To wear your barrettes, simply open them like you would a bobby pin and sweep into your hair.