Craft A Week #33 Upcycled Table

I was highly motivated today and got my craft on! I had an old table that's been collecting dust in my garage for a few years and decided to repaint and repurpose it. I have my granddaughter Jasmine with me this summer and she loves to play on the computer. I have two laptops but I really wanted her to have a designated computer area. As part of my effort to have my new living room comprised of crafty things, I decided to transform the table.

Here's what it looked like before:

(That's Natalie cleaning the underside of the table)!

Then we spray painted the heck out of it!

It took almost two entire cans of paint.

I liked this color but wanted to try a different technique to finish it.  A few weeks ago I found a lace shirt at The Salvation Army for $1.50.  I deconstructed the shirt so it could be layed flat on the table.

I had one good size piece (the back) and several smaller (the breast pieces and sleeves).  I then layed them out on the table and lightly spray painted a butter yellow over them.

Because of their odd sizes, I had to lay the pieces so try and cover as much as possible in one spray. I only did one light coat of paint because I really wanted it to be subtle.

As you can see, this technique gave a real vintage look to the table.  Here's a close-up:

Isn't it pretty? I love this look. 

I finished off the table with a few spray coats of shellac to protect it. 

This was a Super Simple craft! From start to finish it took me less than 2 hours. If I do this again I will use one solid piece of lace rather than the pieces. It would give it a much cleaner look, sort of like a lace tablecloth effect.

Here is the table in it's new home:

I love this table because it has leaves in it. When Jas is not playing on the computer, the table can just hold the printer and monitor.  But the leaf flips up to create an added workspace.

And finally, here's Jasmine and Natalie putting the table to good use!

They were very proud of their accomplishment! (They helped spray paint). I love showing a new generation about repurposing!

Happy Crafting!

Free Amazon Prime Student for 6 Months

I found this great bargain and had to share. Amazon Prime for Students has an offer of 6 months free (a $39 offer). This is a great deal!

Included in Prime Membership are free Amazon shipping, Prime instant videos and the Kindle library. Definately worth checking out. 

The link is here:  Amazon Prime for Students.  Just remember that if you don't cancel after 6 months, they will automatically sign you up for another 6 months at $39. Still not a bad price for what will be an entire year of service. 

Pass it on!

Craft A Week #32 Candy Man

When I was in Fort Wayne last week I went to the Three Rivers Festival. It was so much fun! They had lots of reasonably priced crafts, food and fountains for the kids to play in. I wanted to get a little something for the grandkids and I found these cute Candy Men.  While they were pretty inexpensive ($1.25 each) after I bought them I realized I could make my own.  Here's all you need to make this cute favor.

1 Carmel candy (for the head)
1 rectangular candy (for the body)
2 bubble gums (for the arms)
2 Smarties (for the legs)

The one I originally purchased had a cute box of candy cigarette like candy for the body. I couldn't find them so I substituted with chocolate bards. I made them using Twix, Snickers, Butterfingers, and Mars.

All you do is hot glue the pieces all together.  I also added a little tie and a string to hang.  You can see the result below.

Isnt' he cute?!  I made a bunch of these for my grandson A.J.'s birthday party as favors and everyone loved them. I think these would be a super cute Halloween party favor.  And they cost pennies to make (though rather time intensive) but very sweet.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #31 Inspirational Cups

I've got a long term goal of making a book of inspirational quotes for my grandkids. I've been storing lots of phrases and poems on Pinterest for some time now but don't really have the time to put it all together like I want.  Rather than have all that wonderful material just sit there, Jasmine and I decided to create some cool cups.

(Awhile back I posted a gift I made for my nephew and his wife for a wedding gift; this is done the same way).

Here are Jasmine and my wonderful work:

Here's a closer look at the one I made for Jasmine:

The quote is: 

You are braver than you believe

Stronger than you feel

Smarter than you know

But the most important thing to remember is

Even when we are apart

I will always be with you

Beautiful, right?

Jasmine made one for Jon that says:

You are special and amazing and are here to do wonderful things.

Follow your heart and let your beautiful shine.

Sweet right?

The one she made for Breanna says:

Always chase your dreams

instead of running from your fears

I love that Jasmine picked out the quotes herself. What a meaningful gift and a true reminder of the giver every day.

(In case you don't recall, these were made with Sharpie markers then baked in a 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour).  Super simple craft!

Doggie Fro Yo Recipe

It has been crazy hot here in Central PA this week (104 yesterday) so I thought I'd give the pups a cool, frozen treat. I've seen the frozen dog treats at the grocery and they are pretty pricey. I did a quck search online and found the following frozen yogurt recipe.

Doggie Frozen Yogurt Recipe

36 ounces of plain, low fat yogurt
1 cup low sodium peanut butter
2-4 ounce jars of banana baby food
2 T honey

Mix the ingredients together then pour into 3 ounce dixie cups. Put a dog biscuit in the middle to use as a handle.  Freeze for a few hours.  When solid, cut off the cup and serve.

You can also cut this recipe in half. I made a big bunch since my granddogs were coming over. The dogs LOVED them!

This is Flea. The picture is misleading. While he started off eating this like a human, he quickly decided to chomp the entire thing.

You can see Flea in the background. I can't believe he didn't get a brain freeze. Georgie, however, chose to savor his treat.

Here's Flea in his pool. He LOVES the water! His nickname is Big - for good reason. His body fills the kiddie pool.





Stay cool!

Craft A Week #30 Dinosaur Planter

It is yard sale season here in Central PA (YAY!)  This is my all time favorite time! My mom Dolly Mama insists our area has the best yard sales. I do agree that we have fantastic sales with high quality materials at super cheap prices. It really is a wonderful treasure hunt every Friday and/or Saturday. I especially love the neighborhood sales so I get a good walk in while bargain hunting.

Every season I make a list of things to look for while I go saleing. One of the things on my list this year is plastic dinosaurs to transform into little planters.  (This is also something I found on Pinterest).   I found the following dinosaur and it only cost me a quarter!

Sorry I didn't take a before picture but all I did was give the plastic dinosaur to my son-in-law Dan to drill a opening in the top. The opening was about 3"x 1.5".  The dinosaur is hollow on the inside so I just dumped some potting soil into the opening. I made sure to tap it down so there were no air pockets. 

I then took some succulent clippings from another planter and stuck in the dirt. You can dip the ends of the plants into Root Grow if you have it. I couldn't find mine and it was starting to rain so I just stuck the plantings in the dirt.

Isn't s/he adorable?!  I found a stegosaurus this weekend and sent it on to Dan to cut the hole in that one too. I'd really like to find some bigger dinosaurs. I think they will look cute as a display on the patio.  I want to find more so I can give as a gift to my dear friend D. I know she will love them!

This really was a super simple craft! (Especially because I didn't even have to cut the hole).

Happy Crafting

Flax Seed Pizza Crust

Recently I decided to add flax seed to my diet. Sometimes I have digestive issues and flax seed is really good for that.  Flax seed is a good source of Omega-3's and super high in fiber.  WebMD has a good overview of the benefits of flax seed, located here:  WebMD flax seed.

I found a recipe for flax seed pizza crust on Yummly.  I know, it probably doesn't sound good but trust me, it was tasty.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flax seed meal 2 tsps baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp spices (italian) 1 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 tsp onion (granulated)                          1 tbsp splenda (sugar substitute)                           3 tbsps oil                           3 eggs                           1/2 cup water

Note:  To make flax seed meal, just grind up whole flax seed in a mini grinder. My grinder is small so I had to do this is several small batches.  You can get flax seed at most grocery stores, WalMart, or I got this on sale at Big Lots and was the usually expensive Old Mill Brand.

The photo to the right is what the flax seed looks like after being ground.  It becomes like a meal.  Now you just follow the instructions below.

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix dry ingredients together.
Mix wet ingredients together, add to dry, and mix well.
Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken up.
Spread on pan (I put a greased parchment paper down on the pan first and spread mixture on that.
Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through, then add toppings and cook until they are done.

There was no need to get out the roller to put this into the pan. I just dropped the crust on the prepared pan and smoothed with my fingers.  Just make sure it is relatively even so it bakes even. At this stage, put the untopped crust in the oven for 15-18 minutes.

Then take out of oven and add your favorite toppings.  I topped mine in the following order:  spinach pesto (recipe below); home made bruchetta from last summers tomatoes to add some color; cut up artichokes; an array of cheeses: feta, sharp cheddar and regular cheddar. 

I served the pizza with grilled zucchini.  Here it is plated:

 

My verdict is that it was pretty tasty.  It does have a very different taste from pizza made from a flour dough (this is nuttier and of grainy texture).  I thought it was good but my daughter Breanna didn't like it. She didn't like the texture of the crust and wasn't so keen on the spinach pesto either.  Clearly, this isn't for everyone.

Given the super good nutrient qualities of flax seed I will keep trying other recipes that incorporate that ingredient. I've seen other recipes (like breads) so I will just keep experimenting.

Spinach Pesto Recipe

On Sunday I was hungry for pizza and wanted to try out a recipe for pizza crust made from flax meal (see the next post).  My favoite pizza is basil pesto, artichokes and feta cheese. sadly, I didn't have any jarred pesto so I had to improvise.  I've been on a spinach kick lately; someties for dinner I will saute spinach and roasted garlic and just have that for dinner.  Yummy and good for you at the same time. Can't beat that!

I went on a search for an alternative to basil pesto.  I found the following recipe for spinach pesto. It is made the same way you would make basil pesto.  Another easy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups washed, torn spinach leaves, stems removed, well packed. This was 2 bags of spinach
• 3 garlic cloves, halved
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Place a few spinach leaves, garlic, pine nuts, basil and a little oil in blender or food processor container. Cover and puree until leaves begin to look crushed. Continue adding spinach leaves a few at a time with small amounts of oil to blender, using a rubber spatula to help to combine pureed mixture. Add Parmesan cheese and 1/8 tsp. salt. Cover and process until spinach pesto mixture is smooth.

I added a little more salt and basil to this recipe. I also found it tasted much better after it sat in the refrigerator for a bit.  Granted, it's not basil and doesn't have that taste but it's not bad and serves as a stand in.

The recipe was originally posted on About.com's Southern Food.

Craft A Week #29 Rag Wreath

I really haven't had much time for crafting since this was the last week of classes for the spring semester. While I am teaching a class this summer, I'm looking forward to having some free time to get back to crafting.  It really is my therapy and is just so good for my soul.  I have some big projects I am contemplating but, in the meantime, I was looking for a quick and easy project.

In my quest to complete another "pin", I made a rag wreath. Since another one of my goals is to use up the materials I have (rather than buying new supplies) I harvested the fabric I had in my craft room.  For some reason I had an overabundance of pink fabric. I picked up the white/brown plaid and blue at a yard sale on Friday to lessen the pinkness of the wreath. I got 1.5 yards of each for .25!

This project is really simple. Just cut your fabric into 1" strips that are about 10-12" long.  I wasn't too precise.  Some were wider and/or longer than others but it doesn't matter. Here's a tip: fold the material in half and you can cut twice as much in half the time. Or use a rotary cutter: I don't have one but this would have been really handy.  I just cut up the material I had and tossed into a big tin. I then had Natalie (my granddaughter) "stir" the fabric so it was all mixed together, making it easier to just pull from when making the wreath.

I bought a wire wreath from Michaels.  It was only $2.50 with the loyalty discount. I thought it would be much more than that. I bought a large one because I wanted it big for my front door. 

All you do is tie the fabric strips onto the wreath. I chose to tie it across all four wires because of the length of my strips. I thought of doing two rows but didn't really see much of a benefit of doing it that way....except that it would take me twice as long. 

I knotted the strips to make sure they would stay in place. And packed them really tight so the wreath would look full.  This was a really quick project; I completed the tieing in abut 2 hours.  I only used a fraction of the fabric strips. I definately have enough materials for another wreath.  Though the pinks are not really my color, I think it came out very cute and homey.  

This is such a simple and affordable project but it makes a big impact. You could easily (and cheaply) make a wreath for each season.  Now I've got one more thing to keep an eye out for when yard saleing!  I'd like to make an Americana wreath with red, white and blues. That would be a good fit for my style and the door. 

I highly recommend this project. I've got several weddings this summer and think I may make these as shower gifts. They will be perfect gifts for those who have a country theme.  Another super simple project! 

Happy Crafting!

Penn State Teddy Bears

It is the end of the semester so I haven't had much time to devote to my blogging. Between grading papers, prepping for upcoming presentations and summer school, and making sure all graduating students have their internships complete, I haven't had much time to be uber crafty.

With the help of my mom, Dolly-mama, we did manage to make a sweet graduating gift for this year's seniors. I found this cute pattern on Ravelry and we modified it to make them Penn State representations.  Here's the original pattern:

The pattern for this can be found on "All About Ami" located here: Graduation Teddy Bear Pattern

This is our We Are Penn State Proud Bear:

I had the PSU pins (picked up at a yard sale a few years ago for $5/100! Can't beat that price.  I think it adds a nice touch, don't you?

Here's the teddy bear army in process.  I put together 15 of them for students who are graduating this spring, summer, and fall. 

I wrapped each on in a treat bag that I got from the Dollar Tree.

I'm really pleased with the way they turned out. I will say though they took a long time to complete. Dolly-Mama crocheted them and sent them to me in pieces. I am so glad she did that! It took me at least an hour to just put each one together and add the decorations. I think I will come up with another gift for future classes!

Here's my students posing with their bears. They really appreciated the keepsake. I'm so proud of them all! They represent Penn State well.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #28: A Week of Love for Easter

A few weeks ago our family welcomed it's newest addition: Marcus Robert.   I know I am biased but I think he's just adorable!

This brings the total of grandkids in our family to 8; four boys and four girls, ranging from 2 weeks to 10 years of age. I love them all and, as you can imagine, it can get quite pricey to buy gifts for each of them for every holiday.  In addition, most of the kids have other family who also buy for them so the kids just get an overabundance of stuff.

This year I decided to make my grandkid gifts. Based upon a pin I found that someone made to send to a family member who is serving in the military overseas, I modified the idea to fit my family.

I made each child (aside from newbie Marcus) A Week of Love From Gam gift. All I did was take 7 regular envelops and attached them all together in a line like this:

I labled each envelop with a day of the week, added stickers for decoration, and wrote "A Week of Love From Me To You" down the left side of the envelopes. 


I then gathered a bunch of little things from the Dollar Store (and other random places).  I didn't really have any plan; I just picked up things I thought would fit into the envelopes.

I used things like fruit snacks, candy bracelets and necklaces, animal crackers, pretzels, erasers, and microwave popcorn (that pops blue). I also had some cute little cards, chalk (for the younger kids) and packages of gum.

I then stuffed one goodie into each day, folded the package up, and tied a ribbon around it.

I love that each child will have little gift every day for a week from Gam.

It didn't cost much to make a bunch of these so it was really cost effective. So, to recap, here's the supply list:

• 7 envelopes
• Stickers and markers to decorate
• Small goodies to fit inside each envelop.  (Lesson learned: the flatter, the better! I got a little carried away and couldn't fit some of the treats into the envelopes.  Things like gum, gift cards, flat candy, etc. would be good).
• Ribbon to tie the package up

 I love this idea, especially for the grandkids who live far away. I think of this as a little emotional hug for them.  If I do this again though I would either use bigger, sturdier envelopes or make my own. I can see some of the kids opening this up on Sunday and having all the little things inside scatter across the room immediately. I also want to look at Target or Staples to see if I can find a 7 day file system that would work. That way the parents could easily refill the file and the gift can be extended. 

I hope you all have a wonderfully Happy Easter.  I wish blessings to you and your family.

Happy Crafting!