Pat Catan's Crafting & News Blog: Crafts

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the craft project section of the blog. Here you will find a variety of craft topics searchable by the keywords on the right of the screen under "categories". New projects are always being added.

Glass Vase Re-Do

All of our stores have 1 or 2 aisles full of glass vases and containers. While most of the time a clear, glass vase is just what I need sometimes, I don't want a clear vase.  Sometimes I want to add more color to my design.  And just sometimes, after I've had it a while, I'm tired of the vase looking the way it does and I want to change it up...

Here are a couple of ways I do that. 

 

Make sure the vase is clean and dry.   Then all you will need for this project is a hot glue gun, glue sticks and Design Master spray paint.

 

Using the hot glue gun "draw" a design on the vase with glue.  I find that the cooler temp glue sticks work better for this.  The hot ones just get too hot and runny to make a good design.

 

Once the glue is set and cool spray the vase with Design Master spray paint in whatever color you choose.

 

The second look uses masking tape, gold spray paint and Rub'nBuff.

Cover the vase with small, torn pieces of masking tape, over lap the tape pieces many times over.  You don't want any of the glass to show and the more torn edges you have the better it looks.  Burnish the edges to make sure it's all lying down nice and flat.  Spray with spray paint.  I used Darice Antique Gold but you could use any color you like.  Lightly go over with Rub'nBuff so that the darker color sticks in the creases and lines.   

There you have it. Two ways to recycle or change the look of just about any clear class vase.  With all of the color options and vase styles we carry in our stores you are sure to find a container for most decorating needs.

Vicki O'Dell

Chalkboard Paint on Glass

I saw some canisters in the Pier 1 flyer several months back and liked the look but not the price tag.  They were glass canisters with a chalk board area to write on.  I liked them enough that I decided to try and make my own.  I like crafts that are useful.  Plus I can change my mind about what is inside without any major hassle, like peeling labels off, painting over etc.  All I have to do is erase and re-write!

 

First I taped off an area that I would use as my "label" then I used Armor Etch according to directions.  I wanted to give the surface some "tooth" so that the chalkboard paint would stick better.

Once the surface was dry I put on a coat of Plaid® Chalkboard Paint painting right to left/left to right.   I let it dry and then painted a second coat up and down/down and up.  I let this dry a while (probably not long enough because some of the edges aren't perfect) and then peeled off the tape.  To condition the label I rubbed the side of a stick of chalk over the label area and then wiped it off. 

 

The "Pasta" canister is pretty predictable but I thought the square vase might look good at a casual wedding with a floral arrangement in the top.  In the flyer I saw there were a few carafs that had wine contents labeld on them.  If you are having a party for the upcoming holiday season that might be a great idea. If you change your mind about what you want inside all you have to do is erase and re-write! Cool!

Vicki O'Dell

Let The Wild Crafting Rumpus Begin!

I don't know how many of you remember this book, I just remember it enough to remember it as I watched the new movie in the theater this past weekend. I was amazed at how they turned a 10 sentence or so book into a really cute and touching movie. My favorite part was the costumes the monsters wore and how they were actually costumes and not CGI or any fancy new animation technology. That got me thinking I bet there are tons of craft ideas out there in the internet/blog world. Then I stumbled upon this adorable Amigurumi of Max, the little boy who is the main character on the Crochet Today blog. How cute!
 

(click image for larger version).

Crochet Today blog found this idea here on Ravelry (link on Crochet Today blog), a community for knitters & crocheters

I also came across several other cute ideas for Wild Thing themed crafts! Check out the links below:

• Tons of cute Wild Things ideas over at Craftster.org a community of crafters.
• A Wild Thing round up over at One Pretty Thing's blog, a blog that gathers great ideas from all over the web.

 

So let the wild crafting rumpus begin! As for myself I'm going to get to work on the Amigurumi Max doll! Way too cute!

-Jen

Earrings of Hope

 

by Keith Grafton  

Supplies:

• Silver plated ribbon charm #1999-239 (20 ea)
• Pink Ceylon seed beads #2002-17
• French wires #1983-34
• Jewelry wire #1999-13 2
• Crimp beads, 2-4mm jump rings,
• 3 in 1 tool
• crimping tool

Instructions:

1.  Cut 2 sections of jewelry wire into 3” lengths.
2. On each wire, slide on 9 seed beads, ribbon with seed bead in center, 9 seed beads and a crimp bead.
3. Create a loop by sliding opposite end of wire through crimp bead and 2 seed beads...
4. and the other wire through 2 seed beads. Tug on both wires so circle is snug.
5. Crimp the crimp bead, add a jump ring and attach French wire.

Krafty Blok and Vinyl Words

I found a new product in our aisle.  I know we've carried glass blocks for a while now BUT Vinyl Wordshas come out with vinyl transfers that you can add to the face of KraftyBlok to add a little something new to them.  It's a craft we are all familiar with but with a little different twist. 

 

There are words and seasonal transfers PLUS some of the transfers come in different colors.  This is just a small sampling of the transfers to choose from. 

 

KraftyBlok with Frankenstein face vinyl transfer.

 

With this one I just used a strand of 25 tiny white lights with green tulle wrapped around the wire and the Frankenstein face adhered to the blok. Familiar craft...different look!

Other Things to Know:

• There is a wire stand that comes in two sizes so that you can use a single light bulb in your KraftyBlok instead of a string of lights.

• There is a little sticker dot on the header of each package that lets you know what color the transfer is.

• Vinyl transfers can be easily removed to use the same KraftyBlok over and over again.

• Yes, these transfers could also be used for the wall, vases, windows and other applications.

• There are instructions for application here and on the back of the package.

 

 

Click on the thumbnail images for a better look.

 

The "Family" blok was spray painted with "Frosted Glass" spray paint, allowed to dry and the transfer applied. Two floral picks and a bow were attached with floral cling to the top of the blok.  The blok sits in the large wire frame with a single night light bulb inside.

The Jack-O-Lantern blok (Idea for this blok comes from Keith at our Wooster store) was alcohol inked with red and butterscotch alcohol ink and allowed to dry.  The Jack-O-Lantern face was applied and the small blok placed in the small frame with a flicker bulb inside.

"Believe" has a small string of tiny lights and shredded styrofoam inside with a small santa hat glued to the corner.

The double stack of bloks were spray painted with Design Master spray paints and allowed to dry (there is a large and small blok in the stack).  I used floral cling to attach the bloks to one another and added a bow along with two floral picks to the top. There is a strand of lights in each blok.

"Happy Fall" is only a portion of one of the vinyl transfers and a portion of another set of fall leaf transfers.  Again the blok was spray painted with "Frosted Glass", allowed to dry and vinyl transfers attached.  This is the largest blok sitting in the large frame with a single bulb inside. 

There are plenty of options for using the Vinyl Words transfers (on KraftyBlok or off).  If you use them send along a picture.  I'd love to see what you do!

Vicki

Embossing Soap

Here is a another way to put your unmounted rubber stamps to use. I'm sure it's not a new idea but I thought it was clever and EASY!

 

These stamps have a sticky back to put them on the clear acrylic blocks but I stuck them to the inside of a soap mold, poured soap into them, let them set and VIOLA!

 

I'm looking for the Christmas ones to start coming in and this would make fantastic teacher gifts for your children to give this year!  After all, as of this post we only have 113 days until Christmas! Accckkkk!

Vicki

Suncatcher Mobile

Are you looking for a fun craft that can't be finished in 10 minutes? This time of year it can be hard to keep the children occupied.  They've already done "everything" and are bored. It's not time for school to start quite yet and most day camps/VBS's are over. This just might help occupy some time.

All you need are:

Suncatchers (found at Pat Catan's for 1.00 each)

Suncather paint

Two dowel rods

Stretchy cord (you can use any kind of thin cord really, I had stretchy cord available and thought it would give my mobile extra "bounce")

Jewelry glue (if you are worried about the knots in the cord coming undone try dabbing on a bit of jewelry glue.  It dries quick and clear)

 

Paint all of the suncatchers and let them dry. This part alone can take up quite a bit of time and keep kiddo's busy quite a while.

 

 

To assemble the mobile I suspended one dowel rod from another in the middle.  Then I arranged the suncatchers  however I liked keeping in mind that the whole thing needs to stay kind of balanced.  To figure out how to balance this you can have someone hold the mobile up or suspend it from a door way.  One piece at a time, tie a loose knot and see how it balances, make a tiny mark on the dowel rod where the cord should go and then re-tie the knot more securely.  Go on to the next piece, tie a loose knot, check balance, make a mark and then re-tie.  Repeat until you've used all of your suncatchers or until you like the way it looks.  That should help occupy some time for two different days. 

Vicki O'Dell

More Sharpie® Love

We all know that I have a serious love affair with Sharpie's®, I just can't help myself!  One of the things I love is what you can do on fabric with the little sticks of luscious color! A little Sharpie® and some alcohol and your fabric will never, ever be the same. 

Here is a tote bag I made using:

Sharpies®

Doilies (not Grandma's but the kind you buy in the stitchery area of Pat Catan's)

A tote bag

Eye dropper

Needle & Thread or Fabri-Tac

Darice Rhinestone Setter

Rhinestones

 

 

Choose plain cotton doilies.

 

Color them with your Sharpie® markers.  You might want to use older markers as coloring on the doily will make the tip of your marker pretty rough.

 

Color them all!

 

Time for the alcohol...rubbing acohol and an eye dropper. 

 

Slowly drop alcohol on the colored doilies until the color starts to run.

 

Too much alcohol might possibly wash the color out too much so just do a few drops at a time.

 

Let dry. 

 

Place the dried doilies on your tote bag in a pleasing arrangement and either sew down with needle and thread or use Fabri-Tac for a quicker finish. (I used Fabri-Tac and it worked just fine!) Go back, after the glue dries if you used it, and add rhinestones with the rhinestone setter. 

Ta-Da!! LOVE IT!

 

Vicki O'Dell

 

Trends: Chalkboards

So this was a long weekend! I took a few days off since I turned 30 on Thursday (yikes!). My fiance and I went to the movies one night to see a film called 500 Days of Summer. A great movie about love that isn't about love at all. (you'll have to see it to understand). Anyway I saw something in this movie that inspired me so much. One of the main characters named Tom had something so spectacular in his room... an entire chalkboard wall! It was amazing! Throughout most of the movie the wall he had his bed pushed up against had a chalk board head board drawn on it... I couldn't get over how clever this idea was! I plan on doing something similar in my art studio soon. I wanted to share some inspiration with you all, though. 

Pat Catan's sells chalkboard paint by Plaid in a variety of colors. Here are some cute ideas on their website.

• Paint a canvas for a super unique changeable "painting". I saw this great photo by Erik Johnson
•  
• Paint a chalkboard calendar as seen on Martha Stewart Living site
• 
• Another great idea I saw on Martha's site is using a chalkboard and some cup hooks
• 

Some other cool ideas I saw done with chalk:

• painting a square, or other shape of chalkboard paint on a glass instead of using charns for the glasses
• same idea as above but use them on mason jars to label
• paint storage boxes with a stripe of chalkboard paint to label contents easily
• Painting your refrigerator, cabinets, etc so you can label your contents
• Using chalkboards and cut out shapes like cartoon talk bubbles painted with chalkboard paint for photos
• painting terra cotta pots so you can label what is growing

there are endless things to do with chalkboard paint! And I found a great tip on using chalk, too. Moisten the chalk with a damp towel before using. It makes the chalk glide across the board smoothly. Wash off with a wet rag or towel.

Hope this post inspired you to think creatively with chalkboard paint! Enjoy,

Jen

Quick Cuttlebug Brooch

By Vicki O'Dell

This is a super quick and easy brooch made using thin copper sheeting, cuttle bug, Sharpie® markers and diamond glaze. 

First cut out a square of copper sheeting from the wood aisle and put it in a Cuttlebug embossing folder. Run it through a few times to make sure the impressions "take". Next, cut your brooch into the shape you want with an old pair of scissors and cut the same shape out of a piece of dense foam with an x-acto.  I used the foam that came with an acrylic stamp set.  Mount the copper onto the foam with E6000. 

 

Using Sharpie® permanent markers color the copper to your liking.  I left copper outline circles without color and filled in the rest using teal, yellow, orange and bright pink.

 

Let the Sharpie® set a bit (I went to lunch) and then come back and cover the whole thing with diamond glaze.  Go slowly to leave as few air bubbles as possible.  Any bubbles you get can be popped with a straight pin. Let set over night and add a pin back.  Viola! a new brooch. 

I can't wait to try this closer to winter with some of the new Cuttlebug embossing folders I got!