How to make a sweet puppy card brooch for the holidays

Do your children need a cute little gift for the teacher this year?  Maybe you would like to make something special for a friend or co-worker.  If you are like me you get lots of cards in the mail and never throw any away.  They are just too cute, especially the puppies, kittens and other cute animals.  So this year, I grabbed a few simple supplies and made adorable a sweet puppy card brooch.  They were an immediate hit.  I mean who doesn’t love puppies or kittens? 

You can make some too and they cost practically nothing so when you need a few simple gifts they very budget friendly.  Simply look through old cards or new ones that you can pick up at the dollar store, or even samples you get in the mail.  Choose a small animal image, cut out and create your brooches.

Materials:

Christmas cards with puppies or kittens or any adorable animal

ModPodge Dimensional Magic

Stiffened felt in coordinating color

Scissors

Waxed paper to protect your work surface

Tacky craft glue

Pinback

Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Tiny bows, usually 10 in a package

Instructions:

1.     Find your image. Cut out your image. Use some tacky craft glue to attach the image to the stiffened felt and let dry. 

2.     Place your prepared image on some waxed paper.  Do not shake the ModPodge dimensional magic or you will have bubbles form.  Use the ModPodge dimensional magic to cover the image right up to the edges.  Let dry for several hours. 

3.     Now, add another coat of ModPodge dimensional magic up to the edges as you did before.  Let dry completely.

4.     Using the hot glue attach a little ribbon to the front of your brooch.

5.     Add a pin back on the back. 

We hope you enjoyed this simple and easy craft tutorial.  This is a super kid’s craft.  Kids just love when they something for their teacher or Grandma!  Visit Make it easy crafts again for more fun and easy DIY crafts! And please follow on Facebook, Pinterest, G+, twitter, and bloglovin.  We love comments.

How to make an awesome leather tassel from an old handbag

Yes you read it right.  In the following tutorial I will show you how to make an awesome leather tassel that you can use for a key ring, backpack bling or just for decoration on a drawer pull.  It’s so easy and pretty much free since you use an old handbag that you cut up to recycle the leather.  And tassels and pompoms are all the rage right now!

You will need a handbag that has thinner leather and is flexible enough to cut with regular scissors.  If you don’t already have one, you can easily find one at a thrift shop or a yard sale.  You can re-use the leather in a myriad of ways so come back often for more quick and easy tutorials like this awesome leather tassel!

Materials:

Leather pieces from an old handbag

Scissors

Ruler

Pencil or disappearing marker

Jewelry cap

22-gauge wire

Needle nosed pliers

Wire cutters

Head pin

Key ring if making key ring

Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

E size seed bead

Awesome leather tassel tutorial

Instructions:

1.     First cut a piece of leather from an old handbag.  The leather you choose should be thin enough to cut with scissors.  (You may also use synthetic leather if you wish)  Using a ruler measure 8 strips 2 ½” long by ¼” wide.  The measurements do not have to be exact since it is a tassel.

2.     Cut the strips making sure they are approximately the same length.  Next, cut a bit of leather off one end of each strip to make it into a point.  This will make it easier to tie them all together with the wire.

3.     Now bunch all the strips together and twist about 2 ½” of wire tightly around.  Using the needle nose pliers, keep twisting so the bunch of leather is very tight.

4.     Thread a size E seed bead on to a head pin.  Add a bit of glue on the bead, then, pull it through the hole in the top of the jewelry cap.  The glued bead will keep it stationary. 

5.     Now add some more hot glue to the top of the tied bunch of leather strips and insert into the jewelry cap.  Let dry. 

6.     You will have a straight piece of wire at the top.  Use the needle nosed pliers to curl the wire into a loop around.  This will be where you can attach a key ring or a clip to use your tassel.

Use extra Christmas cards make an awesome 3-D gift bags

Aren’t these 3-D gift bags adorable?  Each year I order my Christmas cards from an online retailer.  In the months leading up to the holiday they send packs of sample cards.  They are not usable since they are just the cover of the cards and have writing on the back but I just can’t throw them out!  So I use the images on the front of the cards to make cool 3-D gift bags! 

All you need are some double-sided sticky dots and two card images that are the same.  You won’t be able to stop making these little bags and it’s a great craft for kids to do as well.  Plus you are upcycling something and putting it to good use!

Materials:

Two Christmas card fronts with duplicate images

Glue stick

Gift bag

Small pointed scissors

Glue raised double sided sticky dots

Instructions:

1.     Choose an image from the cards that you like.  The images must be exactly the same for the 3-D effect to work.  Carefully cut around your images.  (You may use several images if you desire you just need two of each)

2.     Use a glue stick to apply glue to the back of one of the images and attach it to the gift bag. 

3.     Next, apply the double-sided sticky dots onto the back of the second image.  This will raise your image to give it a 3-D look.

4.     Now align your second image exactly on top of the first image, remove the backing paper from the dots and attach to the second image.  You bag now has a 3-D appearance.  You may attach other smaller images around the first on if you choose to create scenes. 

5.     Fill the bag with small gifts, candies.  This makes a great gift for teachers, mailmen, and many others.

How to make quick and colorful aquarium gravel earrings

Make these aquarium gravel earrings, then just sit back and enjoy the compliments!  You can make an inexpensive jewelry gift this Christmas using unusual supplies. The results are super unique and definitely won’t break the bank!

Use clear dimensional glue and various colored aquarium gravel to make a pair of elegant aquarium gravel earrings in any color you desire.  I used sterling silver jewelry findings readily available in the craft stores but you can substitute nickel free versions if you desire.  Be ready for everyone to ooh and aah and be amazed at how you created them!  Who says jewelry has to be ordinary?  These aquarium gravel earrings are the perfect gift teens and that unique adult on your gift list.

Handmade gifts are always a hit since you are giving not only a personalized Christmas present, but are also gifting from the heart.

Materials:

Aquarium gravel in any color or combination of colors you desire

Clear dimensional glue (I used dimensional magic)

Tacky craft glue

Tweezer

Small bottle cap bevels

Jump rings

Fish hook ear wires

Needle nosed pliers

Instructions:

1.     First, gather all your supplies.  Add a bit of tacky craft glue in the center of your bevel.  Use tweezers to pick up and add the small colored gravel pieces in the glue and let it set for a few minutes.

2.     Next, slowly add some of the dimensional glue on top of the glued gravel.  Do not shake the dimensional glue so you don’t get any bubbles.  Fill the bevel to the edges.  Set aside to dry. (I like to give it at least 24 hours)

3.     Now that your dimensional glue has dried, you will need to add the jewelry findings. 

4.     First using the needle nosed pliers, twist to open a jump ring.  Add to the bevel.  Then add another jump ring if necessary to assure that when the fish hook ear wires are added they are facing the correct direction.

5.     Add the ear wires and close the jump ring with the same twisting motion.

6.    That's it!  Wasn't that super easy?  You can purchase earring cards at the craft store for a professional look.