Shrink Plastic Tablecloth

Summer is here so let's celebrate with a custom tablecloth with shrink plastic accents - choose your fabric, grab your shrink plastic and let's get going. 

 From the Aleene's Archive

Come join Joan for a fun mosaic, sea glass wire wrapped jewelry or succulent class on the beautiful Central Coast of California.  Click here for more details

Graduation Cupcake Decorations

My nephew's high school graduation is tomorrow night and we're having a big party on Saturday.  Since shrink plastic is in my top two favorite creative mediums, I offered to make the decorations for the cupcakes.

Vintage Aleene's Creative Living Television Show Shrink-It How-to Video

I love shrink plastic!  I was assigned so many Aleene's Shrink-It segments that Tiffany Windsor dubbed me The Queen of Shrink-It way back in the day!  Check out this video for amazing ideas!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ1acqAeThw

Shrink Plastic Chandelier

What do you think?  I saw this in a magazine and my creative brain said - I can make that from shrink plastic and other baubles.  It will have to go on the back burner for the moment while I finish Save Great Grandma's Quilt project...

Shrink Plastic

I saw this pretty blouse at Macy's and it was pricey.  Dare me to try it from shrunk plastic?

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.

It's Eggie Saturday!!!

I have no idea what that means, but I will later today! A friend invited me to a family get together they've done for years. It's basically a family reunion the Saturday before Easter - then, they have Enchilada Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving and no, they don't use turkey in their enchiladas...The festivities will be on a large ranch outside of Paso Robles and I hear we're having a huge bbq.

I am taking a dessert - at first, I thought I'd take some kind of strawberries, but I'm a bit burnt out on strawberries for the moment after using them three times recently for desserts. So, I decided this morning, to make cupcakes like I did when I was a kid - with green food colored grass and jelly beans on top. Then, I thought I should have done my shrink plastic Hoppy Easter projects - I know it's last minute, but check your recycling bin for #6 plastic and if you have some colored pencils or pens you can make these adorable bunnies in no time - add them to cupcakes or learn how to make them and the cakes in pots at

http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/guide-to-shrink-plastic/6325538

Happy Eggie Saturday!

Joan

Party Ideas

Celebrate Spring, Mother's Day, Garden Party, Any Kind of Party You'd Like!

The parties over...and what a party it was! The favors / name'cards' were little tins I bought at Michaels, placed a pansy plants, added a little multi-color Easter grass to hide the soil and if you look real close, I made little shrink plastic butterflies as picks - I used a heat gun - it was so fun and easy! I used the same photo I used to make the mobile, just made it smaller. Later, I added the names to each tin.

The butterfly mobile looks perfect and added a special touch.

What's a garden / spring party without strawberries??? I am VERY fortunate to live in a farming community, so I picked up these beauties on the way to the party site.

I started my strawberry topiary with a cabbage. I priced a Styrofoam ball, but it was so expensive. I later gave the cabbage to my sister for cabbage soup. The topiary is super easy - just place toothpicks in the cabbage and then stick on the strawberrys. I added a little flag that I'd made from fun foam.



I was very happy how the veggie topiary turned out. Everything from carrots, to onions, to cucumbers were used. It was so pretty the guests didn't want to eat it.

Guests were greeted with bubbles - I found blueberry and lemon scented bubbles at my local dollar store - perfect for my spring theme!


My friend's home was perfect for my party - here are succulents by the front door - they are incredible!!!

Everything was set-out for the guests to make cookbooks.

Favors - I found these adorable butterfly cookies at Wal-Mart. They came in different colors and even flowers for only $1.

I had my sister and nephew over for dinner tonight for leftovers. Here's a quicker way to serve strawberries - I placed them in a pot and placed some Easter grass around the base.

Thank you, Mary Clare, for letting me use your home and your continued friendship!!! You are an amazing woman!!!

Happy Spring!

Joan

Saint Patty's Day

Happy Saint Patty's Day!!!

There was quite a bit of wearing of the green in my exercise class this morning and my friend was feeling a little 'green' so we didn't go for our usual walk on the beach. It's a fabulous day on the Central Coast - looks like it's over 70 degrees!!! I wish I was outside enjoying the great weather, but I'm working on a Shrink Plastic video, that I just about have done, to go along with my ebook!!! I'll let you know, hopefully later today, where you can see the video and find the ebook.

Joan