Melissa & Doug Friendship Stamp Set

The Melissa & Doug Friendship Stamp Set would make a very attractive and fun gift for a special child in your life. The set includes nine wooden stamps with different images, ranging from hearts, flowers, balloons, teddy bears and butterflies that can be used to create lovely pieces of art.

In addition to the stamps, there are five colored pencils and two pads of washable ink in pink and blue. I love the look of the wooden box the set comes in. It has a see-through lid and has different compartments to keep the stamp supplies easily organized. I am sure that your child will treasure this box and its contents and will create lots of beautiful artwork.

Overall, I think this would make a fantastic and well-appreciated gift, for any child. It is recommended for children age 4 and up.

Let's have a look at what others, actually using the  Melissa & Doug Friendship Stamp Set  has to say about it:

This is what Benjamin M. Hoyt has to say:

I bought this for my niece for Christmas and it was an immediate hit. I like the simple but useful packaging and the terrific price. My niece wasn't supposed to open the packaging on gifts until she got back home (to avoid messes at Grandma's house), but we found her hiding behind the tree coloring with her new stamp set! She's very happy with it, and the box it came with means she hasn't lost all of the pieces.

And this is what Granny B thinks of the product:

Bought this for my homeschooled granddaughters who are 4 and 6, and they love to do crafts as well. They are having fun with it and learning too!

Here is what K. Cornette has to say:

This was purchased as a gift for a 7-year old and I thought it was an adorable set, sturdy and will certainly last for years to come!

For more ideas for crafts for kids you can also have a look at Mosaic Ideas For Beginners. For a kit that will keep your little girl busy for long have a look at Alex Toys Happily Ever Crafter.

Salt Dough Recipes and Craft Ideas

It’s amazing how many people think some crafts are only for certain times of the year. Take salt dough crafts, for instance. Many people think you can only make them during Christmas. Using these salt dough recipes, you can make a variety of crafts for any time of the year.

For a few very good ideas you can have a look at Salt Dough Just 3 Ingredients More Than 100 Projects and Salt Dough Sculpture Creativity Series. In these you will find many more ideas for your salt dough creations.

There are a number of crafters who use salt dough to create wonderful Christmas ornaments which are three-dimensional and normally painted. You may have seen angels, candy canes, or snowmen and not realized what they were made of.

Salt dough is an easy craft medium to work with. The recipe is:

• 1 cup of fine salt
• 2 cups of flour
• 3/4 to 1 cup of lukewarm water (more or less water may be needed depending upon the humidity)

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the water, a little at a time, and stir until a large ball has formed. Take the ball out of the bowl and knead it on a lightly floured surface. Continue to knead the mixture until you’re satisfied with the texture.

If the dough is too tacky, add more flour/salt in the same proportions. Dry dough may require a little more water. For a more ‘rustic’ feel to the dough, use a coarse salt. This recipe will create white dough which will keep for several days in a tightly closed plastic bag. Color the dough by adding instant coffee, cocoa, or curry powder. Adding a drop of vanilla extract will produce a wonderful smell as well as act as a mold inhibitor.

Use cookie cutters, pizza cutters, rolling pins, or garlic presses to create the different elements of your ornaments. You can also make freehand designs by making the dough into ropes which can shaped into wreaths or braids. Roll the dough into balls of various sizes to create little animals, people, or abstract designs. The only limit you have is your artistic ability and your imagination.

Make a bouquet of flowers for Mom on Mother’s day out of salt dough. How about a miniature golf club and balls for the golf enthusiast in the family? You can even use salt dough to create wonderful, artsy jewelry if you want to. Be sure to place a hair pin or ornament hanger on any ornaments you intend to be displayed. If you’re making jewelry, poke a hole in the ornament before you bake it so you can put a piece of ribbon through it.

Easy Ways to Make Your Own Christmas Wrapping Paper

Have you looked at the price of wrapping paper lately? It is highway robbery what they’re charging for it these days. If your budget can’t afford the added expense this year, try some of these easy ways to make your own Christmas wrapping paper.

Of course it is much easier if you use pre-made wrapping paper to wrap your gifts rather than making your own. But if you’ve taken time to choose just the right gift, it can be nice to put it in paper which is just as personal as the gift. That is another reason other than expense to consider making your own Christmas wrapping paper.

Try to make the paper fit the person the gift is for. If your son loves cars, you can find a car rubber stamp to use. Your niece may enjoy horses so you could use either horses or horse shoes as the theme for her paper. You don’t, however, want to match the paper to the gift. You want the gift to be a surprise and the paper could give it away.

Most wrapping paper has pictures in a repeated pattern. Another option would be to use a single picture and repeat it occasionally. Alternatively, you may not have any pictures on your wrapping paper at all.

Choose the size of paper you’ll need to wrap most gifts. Normally you can get wrapping paper that is at least three feet wide and ten or more yards long. This might not be possible with homemade paper. However, if you can find thin white butcher or craft paper, you may be able to get as much paper as if you bought it.

Use rubber stamps and colored ink to put the pattern on the paper. Potato and leaf stamping are other ways to get patterns on the paper. When you make your own Christmas wrapping paper, you know each one will be as unique as the recipient.

If you’d rather not use up that much time, you can also use found items around your home. Some options include using pages from the local newspaper for books; the comic section could be something you would use to wrap a child’s present or you can also use pieces of fabric if the gift would warrant it. Use yarn, raffia or fabric ribbons instead of the ones you can get at the store.

Small gifts might be the best choice for Christmas paper you make on your own. They don’t require as much paper and it would take less time to make different papers. These are some easy ways to make your own Christmas wrapping paper which you may want to try this year.

Of course, you can also make handmade cards to go with your gifts and you handmade gift wrapping. For you, making silk painted cards may be a good idea. Have a look at How To Make Silk Painted Cards Personalized Greeting Cards and for your kid you can have a look at lets Let's Have A Look At A Fun Crafts Kit: Make Your Own Cards

Bucilla Santa Poinsettia Tree StockingKit

Bucilla Christmas Felt Kits Stocking Santa Poinsettia Tree  Buy This Amazing Kit Form Amazon Today And Save 26%!

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Are you planning to surprise a loved one with a handmade stocking this Christmas? The Bucilla Christmas Felt Kit includes all the essential craft bits to make a beautiful red colored stocking with Santa decorating a poinsettia tree. It comes with stamped felt, cotton floss, sequins, beads and needles. The instructions are very detailed and easy to follow. I also like the decoration tips to make each stocking unique and personal.

As a piece of advice, don’t try and make this stocking the day before Christmas. It will take some time, but the outcome is worth it. And what could be nicer than spending the pre-Christmas season creating a beautiful stocking for a special person.

When finished, this great stocking is about 18inches long and will look gorgeous hanging on the chimney ready to be filled with exciting surprises.

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Craft Shows 101

If you think Silk Painting Is Fun, you may end up with more articles than you know what to do with. This is when you should start thinking about crafts shows. To help you, here is some information about craft shows.

Depending upon how far you’re willing to travel, you could probably find a craft show nearly every weekend. Perhaps you’ve thought about selling some of the crafts you enjoy making. Read on to find out more.

Before you decide to do your first craft show it’s important to learn about them. One of the best ways is to attend as many as you can. Pay attention to what types of crafts are being sold and which crafts are selling well by watching what people are carrying. Then take time to chat with several vendors. Most will be willing to talk with you if they aren’t inundated with people at their booth.

You’ll want to do some research into the craft show you’re considering. Find out what type of crafts are typically sold. Are there other vendors who will sell the same thing you make? Will the craft show be indoors or outdoors? These are all questions you’ll want to consider along with the cost, how big an area you will have, and if there is a similar vendor whether they will be set up close to you.

Obviously having a good selection of crafts for people to choose from is important. Plan to take more than you think you will need just in case your crafts sell like gang busters. This will keep you from selling out and sitting at the booth with nothing to show. Of course, depending upon what your craft is, you may also want to keep some items set aside and take special orders for those.

Since you’re considering selling items at a crafts show, it’s a pretty good bet you already have a good number of items to sell. If your craft making does not need special equipment, be sure to take more supplies with you so you can make more during a lull in traffic. This will also ensure you have more of your crafts if they start running low.

How do you know what will sell? That’s a tough question to answer. Make items which you enjoy making and which people show an interest in. Ask friends and family for their honest opinions about your crafts. You can also ask them what would make the items better.

Find craft shows by looking in newspapers or on bulletin boards at local libraries, grocery stores, or recreation centers. Calling the local Chamber of Commerce or craft stores is another option. There are also a number of websites such as festivalnet.com and craftmasternews.com which list crafts fairs and festivals all across the country.

After you’ve made umpteen million (maybe that’s a slight exaggeration) of your craft, you’ll want to price them so they sell but still give you a profit. Consider the cost of your materials, how long it took you to make them, and overheads. This is your wholesale amount. Double this amount to reach your retail cost, which is what you’ll charge. By doubling your wholesale cost, you give yourself a little wiggle room if the show you’re at has several vendors with similar items.

There’s so much to know about setting up at a craft show and this article barely scratches the surface. Your best source of information is other crafters who have made the craft show circuit in your area. Most crafters are eager to share their knowledge and will be able to guide you in your desire to sell your crafts.

Thanksgiving Table Decorations Ideas

When Thanksgiving rolls around, most people focus on the food on the table. Here's how to make the meal even more special by having a beautifully decorated table even before the food is added.

Thanksgiving was originally a time to celebrate a bountiful harvest. With that idea in mind, you can create thanksgiving table decorations with natural autumn colors. There are so many ways to decorate using natural items – crafts using pinecones, such as pinecone turkey crafts. You can do crafts using fruits, vegetables, leaves and twigs. Here are a few to consider.

Start out with a rich jewel-toned tablecloth. A deep red, golden yellow or orange tablecloth will make a wonderful backdrop for the place settings. Add contrasting colored cloth napkins if you have them. Create napkin rings out of beads and silk leaves. Glue a couple of acorns onto the napkin ring.

If you have enough dishes to do so, stack the main dinner plate on top of a golden charger. This will dress the table up considerably, especially if you use gold-toned decorations elsewhere on the table. If you don’t have other gold-toned items for the table, try to find candlesticks which are gold-toned or small vases to place flowers in.

Beeswax candles of varying heights can be added to the table. You can put the candles on a mirror for added interest. These can be placed at opposite ends of the table so you have enough room for a centerpiece. Spread cranberries or glass marbles on the mirrors to break up the reflection of the candle.

The centerpiece can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Try to keep the centerpiece on the short side since people will be seated at the table. You want your centerpiece to allow you to have a conversation with the person across from you. Of course, if you love a tall, dramatic centerpiece you can always remove it before the food arrives.

Find large fall leaves and wash them. Then carefully write each person’s name on the leaf with metallic markers. These will be used as place cards. If you’re not sure about using leaves, you can also find small gourds or pears to lean the place cards against. Use raffia to tie the name card to the gourd or pear. Another idea is to find small picture frames and place a picture of each person in the frame. These can then be used in lieu of place cards.

Thanksgiving table decoration ideas don’t have to be elaborate to be beautiful. Think about the things you enjoy most about the fall and incorporate those ideas into your decorations. You’ll be proud of your efforts to supply your family with a beautiful table and delicious food.

Acorn Craft Ideas

Let’s get a hand count. How many people have oak trees in their yard? Do you also have an abundance of acorns? These acorn craft ideas will give you something to do with all those acorns the squirrels miss when the colder months creep up on them.

Acorns can be used in a number of fall and winter crafts. With Thanksgiving coming up soon, you can use acorns to help decorate your holiday table. You can also create garlands and other items to decorate your home.

1. An ‘Acorny’ Family (You can also have a look at Acorn People - Kid's Thanksgiving Crafts)

Gather up a bunch of acorns from your yard or a nearby park. Try to pick up only the acorns with the tops still on them. You can also purchase wooden acorns from a craft store. If the tops come off while you’re transporting the acorns, use a little bit of craft glue to put the tops back on.

Find enough acorns for each person in your family for this first craft. You’ll also need to have some acrylic paints, paint brushes, a sharp pencil and possibly six or more inches of heavyweight thread.

Paint the bottom half of the acorn using a flesh-tone or light brown paint. While this is drying, paint the top or cap of the acorn your favorite color. You would then do the same thing with enough acorns for your family, making the cap of each acorn that family member’s favorite color.

When the acorn is dry you can paint a face on it using a detail paintbrush or a very sharp pencil dipped in the paint. Add other embellishments such as little bows for a girl’s hair or painted pearls for mom. You could even make acorn animals by gluing on pieces of paper for the ears. These are particularly cute for couples who don’t have children but have ‘fur babies.’

Allow the acorns to dry thoroughly and either set them in a bowl, near family pictures or glue string on them to hang them as ornaments. Another thing you can do is create an acorn person for each person who is attending Thanksgiving dinner. Glue their acorn on a folded piece of business card stock and write their name on the card so everyone knows where to sit.

2. Wreaths

If you have a wreath to place on your front door, tie acorns onto a piece of raffia. Next tie the raffia into a bow and glue that to the wreath. You can also hot glue the acorns in groups of three around the wreath. Then use other fall items like baby’s breath, silk leaves and berries to fill out the wreath.

3. Picture Frames

How many old picture frames do you have which you would like to update? Create autumn frames by gluing acorns onto the picture frame. To dress the picture frames up a little bit, dry brush gold or copper paint on the frame and acorns. Once the picture frame is completely dry, place the picture back into the frame and group them in one area as a photo display.

Acorns are normally in abundance in the fall and it really is a shame to throw them away. In the spirit of trying to recycle and reuse, these crafts will help you do just that. By making one or more of these acorn craft ideas you can use the acorns and decorate your home at the same time.