Oh, so tiny baskets

Shrink Plastic Baskets
I made these shrink plastic baskets ages ago - I think it's time to update them, so check back to see 'modern' versions. They're perfect for favors or gifts - fill them with candy, tiny soaps, flowers...have fun!

What You'll Need:
Shrink plastic - opaque
Aleene's Super Thick Tacky Glue - 8 oz bottle
1/4" Paper punch if making the ribbon laced basket
Pencil
Oven or toaster oven
Scissors
Spatula
Hot pad
Baby powder
Moss, flowers, ribbon, candy, etc. to decorate basket
7-1/2" to 8" plate for pattern
Ruler
Cookie sheet

How to Make It:
1. PATTERN - Place plate on shrink plastic. Trace around plate with pencil. Cut a basket handle 3/4" x 10-3/4" from shrink plastic.
2. CUT OUT - Cut on inside of lines using scissors. If making basket with laced ribbon, use paper to punch holes every inch about 1/4" in from edges of circle and at the center of the handle.
3. SHRINK - Preheat oven to 275-300 degrees. Sprinkle cookie sheet lightly with baby powder. Lay shrink plastic designs on cookie sheet. Place in center of oven and watch it shrink - the shrink plastic will flatten when process is complete - this should take about 5 minutes. Remove one piece from oven at a time. Immediately shape around glue bottle. Hold until hard. Repeat procedure for other piece.
4. ASSEMBLE - To assemble basket, glue the handle to the inside of the basket. Decorate basket with moss, flowers, ribbon, etc. by gluing place. For ribbon basket, lace ribbon through holes and glue at ends. NOTE: If basket doesn't sit straight, shrink a small rectangle of shrink plastic and glue to bottom of basket.

Shrink Plastic Leaf Napkin Rings

Copper-Look Leaf Napkin Rings

With one of these napkin rings at each place setting, your table will assume an air of classic elegance. You can use a real leaf for your pattern too! Shrink Plastic shrinks 60% of the original size and to the thickness of a nickel.

What You Need

Shrink Plastic or check your recycle bin for plastic containers with the #6 on the bottoms

Baby powder

Baking sheet

Scissors

Acrylic paints: verdigris, copper

E6000® Craft Glue

Artistic Wire 10 gauge copper wire

Permanent pen, black, fine line

Sea sponge (small scrap)

Palette

Ruler

Wire cutter

2” diameter bottle to shape napkin rings

Round nose pliers

What To Do

1. Place Shrink Plastic over pattern. Trace with permanent marker. Cut out. Pre-heat oven to 275 - 300 degrees. Lightly sprinkle baking sheet with baby powder. Place Shrink Plastic on baking sheet. Place in oven until shrunk and leaf lays flat. Shrink desired number of leaves. While leaves are still warm, bend edges upward. Let cool.
2. Sponge copper paint on front, sides and back of leaves. Let dry.
3. Sponge verdigris over leaves, allowing a small amount of copper to show through. Let dry.
4. For each napkin ring, cut a 12” length from wire, using wire cutter. Wrap center of wire length around 2” diameter bottle, leaving ends straight. Remove from bottle. Grasp end of wire, using pliers, twist, forming a large loop, referring to photo. Repeat at other end of wire.
5. Glue leaf at center of napkin ring.

Other Shrink Plastic ideas can be found in The Guide to Shrink Plastic book

http://stores.lulu.com/craftproductsatyahoodotcom

Guide to Shrink Plastic by Joan Martin Fee

I LOVE SHRINK PLASTIC!!!

I really must send out a great big, huge thank you to Andrea Garcia. If it weren't for her coming to visit when she was a very small girl, many, many years ago, I know I wouldn't be where I am today!!!

Andrea and her dad came to visit for a weekend and while my then husband and Andrea's dad visited, Andrea and I played with her paper dolls for hours, but we kept getting frustrated when her accessories wouldn't stay on. That set my creative mind into over-drive and I came up with Dress-Up Dolly made from Aleene's Shrink-It plastic and then I applied Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over (it's an adhesive that lets you place things, remove them and place them over and over) to the backs of all of the accessories so they would stay on and then could be taken off when we wanted.

From there, the rest is a fabulous creative history. I submitted the idea for the Sharing portion of the Aleene's Creative Living Television Show and to my surprise I was asked to demonstrate how to make Dolly on the television show.

Here's Aleene, me and Tiffany on the set of Aleene's Creative Living Television Show the day I taped Dress-Up Dolly.

From there I did hundreds of segments on Aleene's, became the Instruction Coordinator editing all of the craft project instructions and eventually became the Aleene's Creative Living Magazine and Book Editor.

I have taken all of those experiences and created a Guide to Shrink Plastic ebook and a how-to video.

Check out the Guide to Shrink Plastic ebook at http://www.lulu.com/content/6325538 - it's 58 pages of exciting shrink plastic projects, instructions and full-size patterns. You can download it right from the site, so there's no waiting to get going on your shrink plastic projects.



The cake decorations are one of my all-time favorite shrink plastic projects.

The video shows you how easy creating with shrink plastic is and it also gives you a little tease as to some of the projects in the ebook.

Happy Shrinking!!!

Joan

Mother's Day Garden Party Brunch

Garden Party Perfect for Mother's Day
or Anytime!






























What You'll Need for Wreath
Aleene's Super Thick Tacky Glue
18" Grapevine Wreath
Garden Shears
9-3/4" Plastic Gazebo (found in cake decorating dept)
Spanish Moss
Flowers, Assorted Mini Silk or Dried Garland with Small Leaves
Fence, Miniature Wood

How to Make It
1. To make an area on wreath to hold gazebo, cut grapevine from about 1/4 of wreath, using garden shears. Pull wreath apart slightly.
2. Assemble gazebo, following manufacturer's instructions. Glue gazebo on prepared section of wreath, near center, referring to photo.
3. Glue moss and flowers around gazebo and on top of gazebo. Cut two pieces of fence to desired length. Glue on both sides of wreath. Let dry.
4. Wrap garland around wreath. Glue flowers and leaves on wreath. Refer to photo.

What You'll Need for Invitations, Food Tags and Favors
Aleene's Original Tacky Glue Sticks
Aleene's Super Thick Tacky Glue
Floral Paper
Decorated Edge Scissors
Parchment Paper, beige
Computer and Printer OR Pen
Blank Cards, beige
Spanish Moss
Porcelain Flowers, small
Bubble Envelope for each invitation, if mailing
Permanent Pens: white, black
Silk Leaves: 2 large for each favor
Flower Seeds
Flowers: Silk or dried
Ribbon, 1/2" wide yellow
Fence, Miniature Wood

How to Make Them

Invitations
1. Cut floral paper slightly smaller than card, using decorating edge scissors.
2. Print "Garden Party" on parchment paper, using computer and printer or write by hand.
3. Cut parchment paper slightly smaller than floral paper, using decorative edge scissors. Glue parchment paper on floral paper, using Glue Stick. Glue floral paper to card.
4. Glue a section of fence on parchment paper. Glue moss on bottom of fence and porcelain flowers on fence.
NOTE: Hand deliver these special invitations or mail in bubble envelopes.

Food Tags
1. Cut a section of fence and an extra fence post for each tag. Glue extra post at bottom of fence for stake. Let dry.
2. For label, cut a 1/2" x 1-1/4" piece from parchment paper. Write name of food on piece, using black permanent pen. Glue tag on fence. Let dry.

Favors
1. Write guest's name on a leaf, using white permanent pen. Glue two leaves together, leaving a 1" opening. Let dry. Fill with seeds. Glue shut. Trim edges, if necessary.
2. Glue silk or dried flowers along edge of leaf above name.
3. Tie a small two-loop bow. Glue bow at stem of leaves.
4. Print planting instructions on parchment paper. Cut out around instructions to make a 5" x 3-1/4" piece. Cut floral paper slightly larger than parchment piece. Glue parchment paper on floral paper, using Glue Stick. Glue favor on parchment paper.

What You'll Need for Fruit Dip
8 oz. Cream Cheese
Mixing Bowl
7 oz. Jar Marshmallow Cream
1/4 Cup Strawberry Preserves
Spoon
Small Bowl
Serving Plate
Knife
Assorted Fruit

How to Make It
1. Soften cream cheese in mixing bowl. Add marshmallow cream and strawberry preserves.
2. Stir ingredients by hand until smooth. Place in small bowl.
3. Place dip in center of serving plate.
4. Slice fruit into 1/4" wedges. Leave strawberries whole.
5. Insert Fruit Dip Food Tag.

What You'll Need for Canapes
White Bread
Sharp Knife
Oven
Pastry Brush
Butter of Margarine, melted
Gherkin Pickles
Cheddar Cheese (slices)
Spoon
Dry Italian Dressing Mix
8 oz. Package Cream Cheese (softened)
Serving Plate
Silk Flowers

How to Make Them
1. Remove crusts from bread. Cut each slice into four equal pieces.
2. Place oven tray 3"-4" from heat. Preheat oven to broil.
3. Brush one side of bread with melted butter or margarine. Place in oven. Toast 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on buttered side.
4. For flower leaves, make a thin lengthwise cut on two sides of pickle. For stems, cut a 1/8" x 2" piece from pickle. Cut cheese in Tulip shape, approximately 1" square.
5. For spread, stir dressing mix into cream cheese to taste. Just before serving, spread cream cheese mixture on unbrowned side of bread. Place pickles and cheese on spread.
6. Serve canapes on plate. Add a sprinkling of silk flowers.

We're having a Mother's Day Brunch for my mom this Sunday and I can't wait to make these yummy recipes and projects again!

Joan