Target Bag Flowers

What do you do with all those holiday shopping bags?  Make flowers with them, of course!

Plastic Bag Flowers

Materials needed

Plastic bags, color for flowers and green

Straw

Cotton swab

Scissors

Directions

Cut cotton swab and straw in half. Cut green bag into ½” x 6” pieces. For each flowers, cut a 6” square of plastic bag. Fold in half. Fold in half, again forming a square.  Place cotton swab in center of square with swab end up and twist plastic bag around it. Place in straw. Cut around plastic bag to form circle. Tie leaf strip around straw.

How to Make Bookends

Cover inexpensive metal bookends with leftover fabric to create a beautiful accent to any room.

What a sweet way to remember a special year (or occasion) with this adorable time capsule you make yourself!

FYI - this project is from the Aleene's Creative Living archives so some products may not be available. Substitute good quality products and you'll create a great project.

Wood Burning Projects

Was your New Year's resolution to organize your recipes, control your kid's treasures or frame your favorite photos?  Do it in a unique and very personal way with wood burned words.

Decorate a Piggy Bank

Is one of your new year's resolutions to save money?  Even those pennies and nickels add up.  Here's an adorable way for anyone and everyone in the family to save in a creative way.







 
What You'll Need
Piggy bank
Napkin, one with a fun print
White glue
Brush, wide
Paint for detail, optional
Scissors

How to Make It
1.  Remove the non-printed plys of the napkin and discard.
2.  Cut out designs from napkin.
3.  Brush glue in the area where you'll place one piece of napkin.  Place napkin piece over glue. Brush with glue.  Continue with all pieces. Let dry.
4.  If desired, add details like eyes and nose with paint.

New Year Inspiration

Have you seen the peel and stick quotes in stores or catalogs?  Well, here's an inexpensive way to create your own wall art in a matter of minutes.









Find your perfect quote.

Type the words into a word processing program.  Select the color and size font that fits perfect in your room.

Print it.

Cut it out.

Attach to wall with tiny amounts of stick glue so you can remove it when you want a new quote.

My walls are super textured so I knew if stenciled on a quote it wouldn't look good.  And this way too, I see I need to tweak the e a little so I can easily peel it off, apply a little more glue and be 100% happy with it.

New Year's Eve Party Hats

I'm dusting off the old Aleene's Creative Living archives for these great party hats for your New Year's Eve celebrations!

Glittered Workout Wear

Whether it's New Year's Day or a regular day, look great when you're workin' out!  Heidi Borchers designed this many years ago but it still would be the hit of your exercise class!

What You'll Need
Aleene's Flexible Stretchable Fabric Glue
Glitter, washable
Chalk pencil
Leotard
Belt, if desired 

How to Make It
Prepare the Leotard
Wash and dry the leotard following manufacturers laundering instructions.

Pattern
Draw two sizes of stars and cut out.  Place on leotard and trace with chalk pencil where desired.

Apply Glue
Cut a tiny hole in glue tip. Trace stars with glue. Sprinkle on glitter.  Let dry.  Remove excess glitter.

Care of Leotard
Do not wash for at least a week to make sure glue cures. Treat as a fine washable by turning inside out and washing in a gentle cycle.  For best results, hand wash and hang to dry.

Grandma's Linen Pouches

Need a last minute wrapping idea or one that has a special touch?  These pouches are perfect for slipping a gift inside and give a little bit of yourself or grandma too.  Made from old linens, this project is sure to be cherished by one and all.

Tissue Paper Art

Heidi Borchers, the daughter of Aleene from Aleene's Creative Living Television Show and Magazine taught a group of us how to make this really cool graffiti paper using tissue and paint!  This frame is going to be a gift for my nephew - think a 17-year-old will like it?

Michaels Trimmings for the Christmas Tree

I created these super easy ornaments way back in 1997 and they're still in vogue today.  You'll have plenty of amazing trims to choose from at Michaels and everything else is there to create stunning trimmings for your tree.

Krylon & Artistic Wire Dressing Table Accessories

Another favorite project from my past from Aleene's Creative Living.  Check out the bargain bin or dollar stores for brushes, mirrors and perfume bottles to decorate in your favorite colors.

Aleene's Archive Decoupage Footstool

I so loved making this project!!!  (Looks like I made it way back in 1997!)  Find a paper print (napkins, gift wrap paper or a poster will do) and apply away.  Use your favorite high-quality acrylic paints to match your papers and this will be ready to accent your livingroom tonight.

Aleene's Vintage Instruction Sheets

  

I was doing a little closet cleaning and ran across a HUGE binder filled with 350 (yes, I counted them!) Aleene's instruction sheets.  It's time to share these amazing projects with others so here's your chance to be the proud owner of years of Aleene's Creative Living history.  The projects are holiday and everyday so there's certainly a lot of crafting territory covered! Please contact me if interested and we can iron out the details.

  

  

  

  

Fused Glass Daisies & Cheese Plate

  

I have so enjoyed my fused glass classes / workshops - this meant stepping outside the box and trying something new (and exciting!)

This cutie dish will make its way into my newly established cobalt blue bathroom.

  

A few of us in the open workshop realized we were all making the same thing inspired by a local glass shop.  This will become a cheese plate for a very dear friend.  I'll add bumpers on the bottom and I bought a little cheese knife that I'll glue on some little glass pieces I fused.  This piece was totally made from scraps of glass.


What a great experience - I highly recommend trying something out of your comfort zone and fused glass.

Aleene's Vintage Decoupage for Your Bathroom

It's about time for all those visitors for the holidays and just in time are these suggestions to fresh-up your facilities. Use wrapping paper, napkins or a poster instead of the decoupage papers.  It's quick, easy and will be an expression of you!

 

Cobalt Blue Beaded Curtain

I've had an itch to use some of my beads and taaadaaa, here are my creations - super simple!!!

Tie a couple of knots in the end of a piece of fishing line.  String on beads, tie a knot near the top bead. Continue stringing on beads and knotting.  When you get to the desired length, leave some excess and tie to a curtain rod.  BTW - the sunflower came up as a volunteer in my garden!

I also made this candleholder that I bought a while back at Oriental Trading Company.

Fused Glass Poppy

I thought making this piece was going to be simple but the perfectionist in me didn't quite see it that way.  I started with two large circles of glass - one clear and one swirly.  They were fused in a kiln then I chopped away at the edges to give them curves.  I added frit (tiny pieces of chopped up glass) along the edges, added tiny dots cut from canes of glass and bent some stringers (thin, thin glass rods) for the middle.  I thought I was going to make this into a birdfeeder but it's just too pretty so now it's going to find its home on my coffee table.  This was our last week of open workshop but I managed to get two projects done so I get to anticipate for a whole week what they'll look like when they're taken out of the kiln.  The circles were cut from a 12" piece of glass so the bowl is larger than it looks and it's dimensional too!

Have a Spooktacular Halloween!!!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

Halloween snuck up on you, so now what?

Here are some spooktacular ideas to save the day from things you have around your home!

• Flower Child - Dig out that tie-dye shirt, add a garland of flowers in your hair and you're an instant Hippie, Flower Child or just really cool hipster
• Julia Child - Put on an apron, tie kitchen items to a large collander or strainer (that's your hat) and carry a cookbook or tuck some veggies coming out of your pockets
• Artist / Crafter - You know the favorite shirt you wear when you're being creative?  Wear that (drops of paint and all), put a few brushes in the pockets and go! Wear some earrings you've made too!

Don't sweat it, if you don't have anything to wear, put on a Fall color blouse, some cute earrings and go as your busy self - people will understand!