Stamped Washer Necklace & Keychain

I have to admit - once I saw this idea for a craft - I couldn't wait to try it! I was all set to order a stamping set from Beaducation  (and I probably still will for the variety) when I found this set from Harbor Freight. And at $4.99 - it was a bargain too!

{I forgot the washers in the above pic - oops!}

For this project you will need a stamping set such as the ones mentioned above, a hammer, a black Sharpie or permanent marker, antibacterial gel (or baby wipes or a magic eraser) and a variety of washers. It honestly took us a few tries to get the alignment and hammering just right, so be sure to buy a few extra. At .13 a piece grab a few handfuls of different sizes.

You simply use your hammer to stamp your letters - we used a strip of painter's tape to help guide us and then color your indentations with your marker. Use one of the methods listed above to rub away the excess and there you have it!

I ordered some sterling silver blanks from Beaducation as well - and I can't wait to make my own stamped jewelry piece. More on that later!

Bee Happy,

Family Rules Project

If you've been around the blog block a time or two, then I'm sure that you have seen the family rules canvases that are super popular right now. I can't be sure where I first saw the idea, but I think that it was over at The Pleated Poppy.

{Photo Credit: The Pleated Poppy}

I loved the idea of it, but it wasn't exactly my style. So, I took the idea and made it my own! Busy Bee, Hubby & I brainstormed and came up with these family rules to live by. The last two are Busy Bee's and possibly my favorite, "Leave a trail of loveness" (loooooove this) and "no coffee in the family room" (don't ask)!

I plan on printing this on canvas and hanging it in our office. I'll let you know how it turns out!

In case you have trouble reading them, here they are:

be kind & speak nicely

share

mind your manners

sing & laugh & dance & play

clean up after yourself

always tell the truth

believe in yourself

be grateful

keep your promises

count your blessings

work hard & play hard

give your best to your guest

no coffee in the family room

leave a trail of loveness

 

Bee Happy,

Make Your Own Lacing Cards

Today Busy Bee and I made our own lacing cards! They were "sew" simple ;)! I simply trimmed some characters that Busy Bee had colored or painted. The watercolor books worked the best because they were thicker paper and also did not have anything on the backside. Then we laminated them and punched holes around the edges, using a heart shaped punch for a little whimsy!

Bee Happy,

Spring Flowers

Nothing says Spring to me more than these beautiful egg carton flowers! I just love the color combos!

Coffee Filter Crafts

We've been busy working on coffee filter crafts in our house!

We wanted to share a few with you!

1. Shamrock

Gather markers in varying shades of green.

Have your busy bee scribble all over the coffee filter.

Spray lightly with water from spray bottle until the colors run together.

Lay flat and allow to dry.

Once dry, fold in half 3 times. Trim to this shape (think half of a heart).

Save excess for stem.

Open to reveal your shamrock shape and add your stem!

I plan on framing this and adding it to my St. Patrick's Day Decor.

2. Rainbow

Gather a rainbow of colored markers.

Fold Coffee filter in fourths and color like a rainbow.

Trim bottom in arch shape.

Spray lightly with water from the spray bottle until the colors run together.

Lay flat and allow to dry.

When finished you can trim to make 4 half rainbows or 2 full rainbows.

We framed a half rainbow and hung a full rainbow in our window like a sun catcher!

Pipe Cleaner Bracelets

I'm not sure why I didn't think of this idea sooner! We love to make jewelry together but threading a thin string can be a bit of a challenge. Enter my stash of pipe cleaners! With a selection of colorful & alphabet beads we created cute bracelets for each other! Be sure to tuck the ends of the pipe cleaner into the last beads so that the sharp end doesn't poke out.

We loved the ease of this project so much that we plan to do it our Spring Tea Party... more on that soon!

Bee Happy,

Mini Rain Stick

When Busy Bee and I were contemplating what to do with an empty oversized Pringle's can, I remembered back to a project that I had done in High School Child Development Class. It was a favorite of mine and will hopefully be a favorite of Busy Bee's.

Materials:

-Can similar to a large Pringle's can or mailing tube
-30-40 nails
-hammer
-dry ingredients such as rice, cereal, beans etc.
-clear contact paper
-decorative scrapbook paper
-double stick tape

and

On the Pringle's can there was a diagonal seam that we followed. We simply  hammered the nails in around 3 of the seams creating a "spiral staircase of nails" inside. No need to be even about anything - just eyeball everything. The inside will look like this:

Fill with about 1/4 of the dry goods.

Using double stick tape, adhere the scrapbook paper to outside of can.

Use the clear contact paper to cover and seal the lid to the can.

Very slowly tip the can from one side to the other and you will hear exactly why this is called a rain stick! Maybe with all of the snow that we have been experiencing, Busy Bee and I are hopeful that a Spring rainshower is just around the corner!

Shrinky Dink Heart Pendant

This is another oldie but goodie!

Materials:
-One sheet of poly shrink
-rubber stamps and inkpad *OR* permanent marker
-markers
-decorative scissors for edging (optional)
-hole punch

Busy Bee made shrinky dink heart pendants today and it was not only super fun, but also a blast in the past for me! We simply stamped a heart stamp with a black inkpad and then colored them in with markers. We used decorative scissors on the edges and finished it off with two holes with our adorable heart punch! Simply add string or ribbon for a fun necklace!

Note: Our designs shrunk to about a third of the original size and took about 7 minutes in a 270 degree oven.

Bee Happy,

Valentine's Day Crayon Shaving Hearts

This is an old school craft that will add some festive Valentine's Day decor to any window in your home!

Materials:
-Wax Paper
-Crayons (we chose Valentine's Day colors: red, pink, purple, white, gray)
-An iron

Create crayon shavings with a pencil sharpener or with a paring knife (be careful!)


Use a spoon to spread the crayon shavings on top of a piece of waxed paper. Put another piece of waxed paper on top. Place an iron (on the lowest setting) on the top sheet of waxed paper for a few seconds only.
This should melt the crayons and create a large puddle of color for you!

Allow to dry. Trim to heart shapes and attach a colorful ribbon. Hang in a window and enjoy!

Cinnamon Playdough

We got some darling gingerbread playdough from a friend and decided to do our own cinnamon version this year. We tweaked several recipes and came up with our own recipe.

Busy Bee gave them as a gift to all of her little friends and they were a huge hit! Best of all, it was super easy! We attached a colorful holiday cookie cutter, adorable polkadot ribbon and a personalized gift tag!

We were also sure to include the recipe, so that her little friends can whip up their own batch!

Here's the recipe:

-1 cup flour
-1/2 cup of salt
-2 taspoons of cream of tartar
-1 cup of water
-1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
-1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Mix the dry ingredients. Mix oil and water first and then add them to dry ingredients. In a pot, and on medium heat mix for about 5 minutes until it forms a ball. Allow to cool for 20 minute and then knead the dough with your hand.

We doubled the recipe and had plenty to share. We rolled the dough into balls and placed them in a mason jar. To the top of the mason jar, we added decorative scrapbooking paper and a personalized gift tag. We then finished it off with adorable ribbon, holiday cookie cutter and - of course, a copy of the recipe printed on pretty holiday paper!

Bee Happy,

Thanksgiving Crafts