Heart Shaped Tea Bags

You can't go wrong with a hand crafted gift combined with relaxing herbal ingredients.
If your significant other enjoys a hot cup of tea, this could be your future valentine's day project.

Supply List:
- Reusable tea/spice bags
- Loose tea
- Paper towel 
- Needle
- Cotton thread
- Red paper
- Scissors


Start this project by creating a stencil of a heart. I used a paper towel to do this.

Next, put the stencil on the tea bag, and cut around it to create a heart shape.

The results should look something like this:

Once you have the heart shapes in the tea bag material, use your needle and thread to sew the front and the back of the tea bag together, leaving an open space to add the loose tea in before completely sewing the tea bag closed.

Once you have sewed along all of the edges of the heart, added the tea and then sewed the bag shut, leave a piece of string hanging from the bag so it can be extracted from the tea cup in the future. I used a piece of red construction paper to create a little tag at the top of the string.

...Happy crafting herbal people!

Chalkboard Mason Jar

Personalized jars always make good gifts for a friend, or nice additions to your own cup collection. 

Supply list: 

- One mason jar 

- Chalkboard paint 

(I used FolkArt 2515 8-Ounce Green http://www.amazon.com/FolkArt-2517-8-Ounce-Chalkboard-Paint/dp/B001DCTH2G )

- Paint brush (I used a 1-inch foam brush) 

- Chalk 

- Post-it notes or tape  

- Scissors 

In order to make a perfect square of chalkboard, create a stencil that you can easily peel off after the paint drys. Using post-its, cut a line along the sticky only part of the note to create a thin rectangle. Cut four of these rectangles and use them to make a square outline on the mason jar. Alternatively, you could use a thick masking tape to do this.

Next, using your brush paint the middle section inside of the stencil that you created. Wait an hour for the first coat to dry, then paint at least a second and third coat.

Wait 24 hours to let the paint settle if you have the time before writing on the jar with chalk. 

Once the paint is dry, remove the post-its carefully from around the edges. 

....Happy crafting chalk people! 

Wine Cork Wall Letters

Why not put the wine corks you keep throwing away to use? .

Supply list:
- Wine corks
- Cardboard
- Hot glue gun
- A ruler
- A pencil
- Scissors

To start making your letter, use a pencil to draw a bubble letter outline on one side of a steady piece of cardboard. The next step will be lining up the wine corks on the letter before you cut it out to ensure that they fit inside the letter like pieces of a puzzle. If they don't line up perfectly, adjust the outline of your letter. The J I made required 42 wine corks, but the amount of corks needed will vary depending on the size of your outline. Finally, cut out your letter and use a hot glue gun to attach the wine corks to the cardboard.
Make sure to let the glue dry before you hang the finished product!

...Happy crafting wine people!

Anniversary/Valentine's Day Craft: 52 Reasons

 

As February progresses and Valentine's day approaches, you may find yourself looking for a romantic craft to create for your significant other. I personally made this craft for a three year anniversary, but it could easily be transformed for Valentine's day into "52 reasons why I love you", "52 reasons why I like you", or "52 reasons why I don't hate you". 

Supply list: 

- A deck of 52 cards (I recommend vintage cards by Ellusionist)
- Medium sized binder rings

- Photos, magazine cut outs, or drawings 

- White computer paper
- A hole puncher 

- Scissors 

- Glue

On one side of the card, put a reason why you have been dating or a reason why you love the person. On the back of the card to the left that faces that card with the number (as if you were holding your card deck open like a book), put a corresponding picture or drawing.
I typed out all the reasons on the computer in a small font and then cut each one out and glued them on.
Example:

For this page, I wrote "we have the best taste in desserts" on the right, then printed a picture of 4 of our desserts we always share on the left.

After you have cut and glue the pictures and messages on both sides of the cards, punch two holes in every card at the same distance (you can use a pencil and a ruler to do this accurately).  

Link the cards together using the binder rings to create a little flip book.

When you finish, you will have created a mini romantic scrap book out of a deck of cards that your significant other can keep FOREVER (or until they misplace it)! 

....Happy crafting romantic people!

Superbowl Strawberries

I don't love sports, but I do love any excuse to cover fruit in chocolate.
Next year for the Superbowl, try making these festive football themed strawberries.

Supply list:
- Two pounds of chocolate
- Two semi-sweet chocolate baking bars
- One bag of white chocolate chips
- A frosting piping bag (or a zip lock bag)

Wash the strawberries (please, don't eat unwashed fruit)
Start by breaking up the chocolate bars into smaller pieces, and melting it on stove.
Make sure the strawberries are fully dried before dipping them, because water will make the melted chocolate seize. Dip the strawberries in the chocolate by holding them by the stems, and spinning them so all sides are covered.

Once all of the strawberries are covered in the chocolate, put them in the fridge for at least 5 minutes so the chocolate hardens before adding the white chocolate. 

Put the white chocolate chips in a bowl and melt them in the microwave for 45 seconds. Mix until the melted chocolate is smooth. Then transfer the white chocolate from the bowl into either the piping bag or a zip lock bag (cut a tiny amount off the corner of the zip lock bag to allow mixture to come through).

Using your piping bag, draw a white chocolate line across the top, bottom and middle, making crossing lines to resemble a football.
Put the finished product back in the fridge to harden until served.

....Happy dipping strawberry people!

Pipe Cleaner Worms/Snakes

Pipe cleaner worms are not only an entertaining craft for kids, but also make great dashboard friends. I made one for my friend a few years ago when I was working at a day camp, and he still has it wrapped around the stick shift in his car.

Supply list:
- Four pipe cleaners
- Two small multicolored cotton balls
- Glue

Twist the four pipe cleaners together (you can use four different colors, or two of two different colors), and wrap the bottom of the pipe cleaner twist into a little circular stand for the worm to sit on. Glue the eyes on.

You get to decide if you created a worm or a snake, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

...Happy crafting pipe cleaner people!

Speedy Chocolate Covered Apricots

Due to the lack of water in dehydrated fruits, they are the perfect item to cover in chocolate easily. When dipping fruits such as strawberries, the chocolate can suddenly seize if water drips into the pot. Therefore, it is much less time consuming to use dried fruits such as chewy apricots.
Use this recipe if you are looking for a speedy, yet delectable snack.

Supply list:
- One bag of dried apricots
- One Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet baking chocolate bar

Break up the chocolate bar into smaller crushed pieces. Place the smaller pieces in a microwave safe dish and heat until entirely melted. Dip half of each apricot into the chocolate, then place on a cookie sheet to dry. To speed up the hardening of the chocolate, place the apricots in the fridge until served.

...Happy dipping dried fruit people!