Santa Craft Stick Ormament

I'm having so much fun designing and making these stick ornaments. I'm trying to keep them simple, but with details.  

We will be spending Christmas in Cabo, this year.  With that in mind, we will not be having a traditional Christmas Tree, because with that comes all the trimmings, the expense, then what to do with all you have acquired........ Well at least we'll have 3 ornaments.








Santa Craft Stick Ornament

Supplies you need:

 Craft Stick (shown is a pre-colored stick)

Paint - red, black, facial, light pink, white, gold

Foam - red, white, black

Twist tie - striped for wire (glasses)

Brown paper from bag

Ribbon - 1 white pom pom

Glue, scissors, paint brush, toothpick


Instructions

1 If stick is not pre-colored red, Paint stick red, dry

2 Cut shoes, shoe band, beard, hat, hatband, arms, mittens.

3 Paint face, with facial color, dry paint again, dry.
4 Paint on face, pink cheeks, spot of red for lips, two black dots for eyes (with toothpick), white eyebrows above the eyes, paint black strip for belt, dry. Measure how far down the beard would be, and paint two gold dots for buttons, and with toothpick paint gold buckle on black belt, dry.

5 Strip paper off twist tie to expose wire inside. Using small stick (I used end of paint brush), leave small length of wire and wrap once, leave very small amount of wire and wrap around stick, again, making small pair of glasses.  Using a toothpick, glue wire where it doubles in the wrap to ensure strength.  Set aside.

6 Glue hatband on hat, fold over and glue, then glue pom pom to tip of hat.

7  Glue on hat, beard, make sure the mouth hole goes over the red spot on face, glue on shoes. Using a scissors, scrap a line down the middle of shoes to make it look like two shoes.  Paint black line for legs.

8 Adjust glasses on face, glue on sides of stick, dry, then secure on back of stick by gluing  both wire ends to stick.

9 Crumple brown paper to make a bag, tie with ribbon at top of bag.  Glue mittens to arms, then glue arms onto stick.

10 Glue paper bag to back of stick, pull right arm around to the back of stick to hold top of bag, and left arm around to hold bag in the front of stick. Glue arms in place.

11 Cut and tie small ribbon, glue to back of stick.

FYI:  I went to trouble to make a pdf file, if anyone would like one for the craft collection, please email me at cgammeter@yahoo.com and I will be happy to email.

Thanks for Stopping by,

Happy Crafting!

Linking to:  Thursday The Well Crafted Home, The diy dreamer, Made in a Day, Play Party Pin
Friday  My Healthy Green Family,A Peek into My Paradise, Serenity Now, The Charm of Home, The Shabby Nest, IHeart Hands-on, Practically Functional, Sand and Sisal, Chic on a Shoestring
Saturday  Lovely Crafty Home, Flamingo Toes

Monday  Cherished Handmade Treasures, Create with Joy

Elf Craft Stick Ornament

I love Christmas time... the lights, the trees, the decorations, the music.....the food...I can not wait to see how they celebrate Christmas in Cabo.  We stay in downtown Cabo; we do not have a vehicle so we walk everywhere.  I discovered a craft store about ten blocks away, they have the cheapest crafts supplies I ever seen.  For all the supplies I bought, the foam (8 sheets), the paint's (7 small jars), the paint brushes (2), the ribbon (3 yards), the Christmas decorative pieces (2), the pack pom poms, a pack of jingle bells, the sharpie marker, the glue;  I spent under $10 usd.  I manage to find everything I needed to make my craft stick ornaments...except felt, as it turns out the color foam works better for me.

Trying to take picture of my Elf hanging from a tree is a trick, downtown Cabo is mostly dust and concrete, with very tall palm trees. I found a little park three blocks down, two blocks up, with trees.  Yes, the people watching me take pictures of this little guy think I am crazy....  My Elf is little more detailed then my Christmas Bear Craft Stick Ornament, but he is fun to make.

Elf Craft Stick Ornament

What you need:

Craft stick (if pre-colored green, no need to repaint)

Paint - green, flesh color, red and white, black

Foam - green red, brown, flesh color

Decorative object: ie, small package, garland, small golden balls 

in center of flower 

Ribbon

Glue, Scissors, Paint brush, toothpick 

1 Paint stick green,

2 Draw line on bottom center.  Cut and glue on shoes, draw line down center of shoes.

3 Paint face and neck.

4 Cut out ears, hat, hat band, collar, hair, arms and mittens.  Glue hat band to hat. Glue mittens to arms.

5 Glue on ears, paint red checks and red neck line. Paint white checks.

6 Cut small gold balls off decorative objects glue onto tips shoes and tip of hat.

7 With toothpick, dot eyes and draw smile.

8 Glue on collar.

9 Glue hair, hat, and arms onto stick.

10 Small package came off of decorative object. Glue package below collar.

11 Pull arms around small package and glue.

12 Cut and tie small ribbon, glue to back of stick.

I've made three so far.... I was thinking an entire tree with just Elves would be so adorable....just not sure we will be able to have a Christmas Tree here in Cabo..... this year.

FYI:  I went to trouble to make a pdf file, if anyone would like one for the craft collection, please email me at cgammeter@yahoo.com and I will be happy to email.

Other Variations of Elf

Happy Crafting

And Happy Holidays!

 Linking to:  Thursday: Katherine's Corner, Sew Crafty Angel,
Made in a Day, 7Alive, 1 Dog Woof, All things with purpose, The Crafty Blog Stalker, Glamorous, affordable life, Mothers Niche, Lamberts Lately,  Friday  IHeart Hands-on,  Living Better Together,  I want crazy, A peek into my Paradise, Just us Four,  The Shabby Nest, What-About, My Turn for Us, Practically Functional, Diana Rambles

Sunday The Chicken Chick, Pink When, Life on Lake Shore Drive, One More Time Events

Monday Create with Joy, Creatively Living, Cherished Handmade Treasures, A Pinch of Joy, Craft-O-Maniac
Tuesday Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Not Just a Housewife

Christmas Bear Craft Stick Ornament

I love spending Christmas with my daughter and the grandchildren. Every year before my trip I would spend endless hours searching websites and blogs for fun Christmas crafts to share with the kids.  After doing crafts with the kids and they are in bed, My Daughter and I get busy with some craft of our own.

Time for Cocktails and Crafts!  Our favorite late evening crafting is making these craft stick ornaments.

Credits:

The Snowman and the North Pole sign from Squidoo

The Penguin from Better Homes and Gardens, The Reindeer from Craft Ideas.

The Christmas Bear is Mine.

To add to the collection, I been working on the 

Christmas Bear Craft Stick Ornament 

He's so easy to make:

Here's what you need:

Craft Stick

Brown paint

Brown foam, red foam, white foam

Black paint or marker

Pom Pom

Red ribbon

Scissors, glue, toothpick, paint brush.

         

1  Paint stick brown

2  Cut diamond shape for face, glue on stick about an inch down.

3  With black paint, dot eyes and draw nose

4  Cut shapes for hat, ears, and arms

5  Glue ears, wait for it to dry.

6  Glue hat band, fold hat down and glue, then glue to top of stick. Glue Pom Pom to tip of hat.

Tie red ribbon around neck.

7  Glue arms, wait to dry,glue garland on stick, fold arms to center and glue.  Glue ribbon to back of stick to hang.

 

He really is so darn cute.  People here in Cabo think I'm nuts running around looking for trees to hang him from for a photo. 

FYI:  I went to trouble to make a pdf file, if anyone would like one for the craft collection, please email me at cgammeter@yahoo.com and I will be happy to email.

Happy Crafting!

Linked to: Saturday Bowdabra Blog, My Snippets of Inspiration, too-much-time, Sewlicious, Be different act normal, Or so she says, Your home based mom, What's Cooking with Ruthie, Pieced Pasttimes, Sunday Pink When, VMG 206, Crafts ala mode, Suburbs Mama, One More Time Events, A little Clareification, Life on Lake Shore Drive, House Honeys, Flamingo Toes, LambAround, Sunny Simple Life, Three Mango Seeds, The Chicken Chick  Monday  Craft o Maniac, Lines Across, A Pinch of Joy, Create With Joy, Cherished Handmade Treasures, Alderberry Hill, Making the World Cuter, Keeping it Simple, Sumos Sweet Stuff, Rae Gun Ramblings, Say not sweet Anne,  The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen   Tuesday  Coastal Charm, Sugar Bee Crafts, Ladybug-Blessings, The Blackberry Vine, Not JUST a Housewife, Lindas Lunacy, Kathe with an E, Funky Polkadot Giraffe  Wednesday Ivy and Elephants  Thursday Katherine's Corner, Sew Crafty Angel, Made in a Day, 7Alive, 1 Dog Woof, All things with purpose, The Crafty Blog Stalker,  Glamorous, affordable life, Mothers Niche, Lamberts Lately  Friday   IHeart Hands-on,  Living Better Together,  I want crazy, A peek into my Paradise, Just us Four, The Shabby Nest, What-About, My Turn for Us, Practically Functional, Diana Rambles

Magazine Bowl

Last Christmas I made homemade gifts for everyone in my family. For my Mother I made a recycled  magazine coiled bowl and of course filled it with chocolates. My Aunt June emptied it to look it over and fell in love with it.  I just made this for her.

I had first seen this project at Saved by Love Creations, but I could not find the post to share her projects and tutorial.

This is how I did it. 

What you need for this project

Magazines

Paper Cutter

Hot glue gun

Modge podge

Sponge applicator

Clear coat spray

1. Tear out sheets from magazine

2. Cut into 2" strips

3. Fold strips (This is a job) Fold in half the open fold one side into the center and fold that one more time, repeat on the other side of the strip.

4. Begin with a tight coil

5. Hot glue each folded strip as you coil

6. Modge podge as you go to keep it from moving.

7. After ending the coil, I modge podge the inside, let it dry, then the outside, and repeat several times. Then spray a clear coat on the inside let it dry and then the outside.

8. Fill with candy!!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Crafting!

 Linked up Wednesday at: Handy Man, Crafty Woman, The Well Crafted Home, Fine Craft Guild, Linked up Thursday at:  Katherine's Corner,  Seven Alive, The ArtsyGirl Connection, Made in a Day, Linked up Friday at:  Simple Home Life, Craftionary, Here Comes the Sun, Petals to Picots, Create Craft Love Linked up Saturday at: Bowdabra Blog, The Gingerbread Blog Linked up Sunday at: Nifty Thrifty Things Linked up Monday at:Watch Out, Martha!, Eye Heart, A Pinch of Joy, Sarah Dawn Designs, Mighty Crafty, Sew Chatty

Jar Art

Have you seen these "Jar Art" kits put out by Ball?  They are the easiest craft to make.  They come with everything you need to design these lovely jars (instructions included), then fill them with awesome gifts or in my case, fake flowers.  The kits normally sold for $6.39 at Ace Hardware, and right now they are on sale for $1.  

Here's the different theme's:
Baby
Garden
Family
Cheer
Life's Journey
Birthday
Explorer
Fishing

Holiday, of course, then I got a few more of the Christmas Jar Art for gifts.
This jar art I made for my Sister who just had knee surgery.  As a "hope you feel better soon" gift, I did the Victorian Roses Jar Art.

  

What you need to make this jar art-                               Cost

                        Jar Art Kit                                            $1.00

                        a Canning Jar with ring and lid            $1.50

                        scissors

                        4 bunches dollar store flowers            $4.00

                        moss                                                    $1.00  

                        a chunk of styrofoam                           $1.00

                        Total cost for gift                              $8.50

1 - wrap the jar with decorative card stock and use the included adhesive circles to secure it in place

2 - put the adhesive circles on all 4 corners of the frame and place in the middle of the wrap on the jar

3 - put an adhesive circle on the bottom of the paper flower and press into the center the frame

4 - secure the card stock strip on the jar ring

5- tie the ribbon around the top of the jar.

So easy, and so pretty!!  She loved it!

Happy Crafting!!

Linked up Thursday @ The Taylor House, The ArtsyGirl Connection, Katherines Corner, Linked up Saturday @ Bowdabra Blog, The Gingerbread Blog, Linked up Sunday @ Thrifty Nifty Things, Linked up Monday @ Eye Heart, Watch out Martha, A Pinch of Joy, Sarah Dawn Designs, Making the World Cuter, Mighty Crafty, Cherished Handmade Treasures, Link up Tuesday @ Claiming Our Space, The Kurtz Corner, Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk,  Linked up Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Fine Craft Guild  Linked up Friday @ Craftionary

Backyard Halloween Golf

Have you ever seen Remco's backyard putt putt set from the 1950's, back when family's spent more time together....... (I know I wasn't even born yet).  I saw this in an article in Country Living Magazine, Vintage Lawn Games, it sent me searching for ideas to make mini putt putt golf  for the grandkids. 

 

  

(this was a long drawn out search)

This summer I came across this set of  KIDS GOLF CLUBS, $4, at a garage sell.

I know, what a deal!  I gave them to the grandkids to play with. 

Now that I'm here living with them, I was back to thinking of ideas for the putt putt golf.

For a game at my grandson Elias's 7th birthday we played 

"Backyard Halloween Golf".

I downloaded large Halloween coloring pages and printed them.  Placed the picture on cardboard, cut out the outlines of the pictures;  some of them we had to tape first to make them sturdier and painted them. (Suzy and I painted them)

We bought lawn stakes at the local hardware store, to keep them in place in the yard.  There are  7 holes.  We strategically placed them around the yard, Let's Play!

We kept score by how many strokes it took to get the ball to each hole, and  if it went through the hole you got the bonus 1 point subtracted at the end of the game.  

You'll never guess who won?  Miss Harmony, the poser.  I was shocked, too. I thought for sure I was gonna win.

Project Cost:  $4.00 for golf clubs, $2.50 for the lawn stakes, family fun, Priceless.

To find these Halloween pictures online, in any search engine, type in Free Halloween coloring pages. 

Happy Halloween!

Parties: Link it up Thursday @ Seven Alive ,  The ArtsyGirl Connection ,  Made in a day, The Taylor House, Katherines Corner, Finding Fabulous   Link it up Friday @ Happy Hour Projects, Simple Home Life, Craftionary, Here Comes the Sun, One Artsy Mama, Petals to Picots, Create.Craft.Love,  Link it up Satuday @ Bowdabra Blog, The Gingerbread Blog, Link it up Sunday @ Thrifty Nifty Things Link it up Monday @ Eye Heart, Created with Joy, Watch out Marha Link it up Wednesday @ Fine Craft Guild

Trash Can Lampshade

This is how it looked after the road trip!

When my Daughter moved from WI to NC, the plastic in her lampshade on her favorite lamp was broken out.  Being a "poor" student, she has other more important things to spend her monies on.  While taking out the trash one day, I noticed boxes full of junk in the dumpster.  

This lampshade was in there.  Other than looking old and yellowed, it was in perfect condition, (I mean the plastic wasn't broke up!).  I grabbed it out of the trash and recovered it for Miss Deby.

I pulled off the trim that was yellowed and wiped it down with a sanitize wipe.

I laid the lampshade on tissue paper and traced it as I rolled it to make the pattern. 

Pinned it and cut out the fabric.

I mod podged the fabric on to the lampshade.

Easy Peasy!

Is it me, or is he scary looking?  I rubbed his Buddha belly for luck, just the same!

Happy Crafting!

Thanks for stopping by.

Parties:  Friday Happy Hour Projects - Simply Link Party @ Simply Designing

Hanging Around

Living in condos, it seems like people move in and out often.  Some people leave in a big hurry and find that they can't take everything they own.  I love it when that happens.  Some of my great finds are right here where I live.
I found this frame by the dumpster a while back and I made a bulletin board with it.

I've seen so many awesome ways and designs done before, here's my tutorial.