Craft Ideas

Apple Potpourri

• 1 cup dried apple slices
• 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup whole allspice berries
• 10 2″ cinnamon sticks
• 2 tbsp. whole cloves
• 1/4 cup canella or nandina berries
• 10 small pinecones
• 7 drops cinnamon oil

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and place in a tight jar or tin. 

Shake every few days. 

Cinnamon oil has an extremely strong scent that intensifies as it is absorbed. 

Add additional oil if needed. 

The red sumac berries that grow wild can be used dried as a stablizer for potpourri, replacing the orris root which can be very expensive.

Invisible Ink

• 2 tbsp. cobalt chloride
• 2 tsp. white dextrin
• 3 1/2 tbsp. glycerine

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small pan. 

Cook over low heat and stir constantly until well blended. 

Cool completely. 

Store in a clean air-tight jar. 

Ink is pale pink on colored paper. 

Expose to heat or light bulb and writing turns blue. 

Note:  Cobalt chloride and dextrin may be purchased from a chemical supply house and glycerine from a drug store. 

Silly Pet Spiders

• Paper nut cups or egg cartons cut into cups
• Pencil
• Eight 3 inch pieces of pipe cleaners or twist ties

Directions:

Decorate cup to make it look like a spider face. 

Tip:  Try using crayons or markers, adhesive stickers, glue on cereal, raisins, and/or nuts.  Hats can be made with cotton balls, marshmallows or string. 

Using a pencil tip to poke 8 holes around the bottom of the cup. 

To make the spiders legs, insert pipe cleaners or twist ties into holes.

Spider Web:

Directions:

Squeeze a glob of white glue onto waxed paper. 

Dip 9 inch piece of twine into glue, removing excess glue with fingers. 

Lay one end in center of another piece of waxed paper. 

Working outward from center, lay down the twine. 

Add more pieces of twine to increase the size. 

Lay longer pieces of twine dipped in glue (12 inches) across the top of the web. 

Let dry at least 4 hours. 

Carefully peel off the waxed paper. 

Food Coloring Fireworks

• newspapers
• white paper or construction paper
• food coloring
• plastic drinking straw

Directions: 

Cover a work space with newspapers. 

Place white paper on the center of newspapers. 

Put a large drop of food coloring in the center of the white paper. 

Holding one end of the straw above the drop of food coloring, blow through the other end of the straw. 

How hard you blow determines how far and how fast the drop of coloring moves. 

After blowing the 1st drop of coloring as far you want, do the same with additional drops of color. 

Vegetable Printing

Directons:

Cut various fruit and vegetables in half, allowing to dry on paper towels for at least an hour (also depends on the fruit/vegetable). 

Cover work table with old newspaper. 

Brush paint along the cut edge of fruit or vegetable. 

Print design on water color paper. 

Cover with clear adhesive backed vinyl for a placement. 

Print on 100% cotton fabric and heat set by ironing face down on paper towels. 

Sandwich the cotton fabric sit batting and a backing to make a pot holder. 

Stitch around design, stitching through all three layers. 

Make pictures, landscapes, designs, etc. 

Also makes wonderful presents if you frame them.