Spice Racks

This seemed like such a simple idea, but it caused me so many problems!
Anna told me about a project where you cover canvas with cute fabric and turn it into a magnetic spice rack. I ordered tins online and was able to get them for about 50 cents a piece, compared to the 2 dollars you often see in stores.
The problem was finding magnets strong enough. I finally found some at Fred Myer, though it cost $2.50 for 6 magnets and I had to glue one to the bottom of the tin and one to the back of the canvas. (Watch your polarity!)
But I think it turned out cute anyway. I printed some labels for common spices and put them in a bag on the back so the tins could be labeled appropriately.

Record Clocks

I've been playing with different ideas for clocks since this seems like one of the more unique and easy to make gift ideas. All you need is have is a hole and a way to hang it, and you can turn anything into a clock! I've seen CDs, Mac n Cheese boxes, etc.

I decided to do a few record clocks. The record hole is slightly too small to fit even the smallest clock piece I found, so I made it a tiny bit larger with a pair of scissors. I attached it to the record cover with Velcro and sewed picture hooks into the album cover with wire. The only problem I came across is that the record leaned down. So I took a foam block and glued it to the clock piece to help the record stick out level.
Nothing is directly attached to the record, so all you have to do is unscrew the clock piece if you wanted to play it. I don't think I enlarged the hole enough to cause a problem.

Latch Hook

I found a latch hook of a sheep dog that I worked on in high school while cleaning out my craft supplies. I turned it into a pillow for my in-laws since they love sheep dogs. They have a lot of neat designs for latch hooks at Michael's. This is a nice alternative to cross stitch with a sort of similar pointillism look.
Now Meghann has an alternative napping companion. :)

Tea Cups

Anna, Nicole and I saw this idea at a craft fair...oh...a year and a half ago. I have been on the look out for cute tea cups ever since. The tea cups are all thrift store finds. This makes them unique and less expensive, but I was surprised to find they are still pretty pricey - $2 to $7 each with the average around $5.

On a pole in the yard with bird seed:
The pole is made of metal that my dad cut for me. We thought it was copper and would be easy to cut, but it turns out there was a steel center. Yikes! So I need to find an alternative for next time. There is a little copper cap on the bottom so you can take the tea cup off for washing and refilling.

I also modified the design for people without yards. On a hanging chain with a plant:The chain is just a bulk cut from the local hardware store, attached with epoxy and a key ring to hang from. It was hard to center the three chains and get them to stay in place while the epoxy dried. But I'm sure it was easier than cutting those poles!

Chalk Board

Cleaning out your craft supplies inspires lots of need ideas. Here is a chalk board I made yesterday without buying any new supplies. Now I have a place to make a list of current projects since I've got about a million different things in process right now.

Etching - All the cool kids are doing it.

Mom was inspired by an article she saw on etching, so naturally we had to try it. I had done etching before using a sandblasting machine in high school, but as we didn't have one of those laying around, we tried an etching cream called Armour Etch. It is pretty expensive, but the larger bottle will last for a lot of projects. Rather than using a pre-made stencil, we made our own by putting painter's tape directly on the glass surface and cutting out a patten with an exacto-knife. The bottle recommends letting a thick layer sit for 5 minutes before washing it away. After some experimentation, we decided to let it sit for 10 minutes, reapplying some extra cream after 5 minutes because it was hard to get the cream on thickly until it had some time to sit.

Mom etched grapes on a cool half-bowl to put utensils in for her grape kitchen. I'll have to bug her for a picture. It turned out so well! I etched "catnip" on one side of a bottle and paw prints on another for as a Christmas gift for Adam and Kait's cat. (Yes, the cat gets presents.) It is a bit hard to see after I put the catnip in the jar, but if they don't notice it right away, it will get slowly revealed as they use it. Considering what will be in the glass container is an important tip I will remember for the next project.

Mosaic Stepping Stones

Mama and I went to a small craft fair in Mill Creek a few weeks ago and saw some very cute paw print Mosaic stepping stones. These would be easy to make and a great gift for animals lovers.

This is the closest picture I found online to our original inspiration.