Crafty New Year!

New Year's Eve Swizzle Sticks

I'm still in holiday mode (as in, I'm still eating too much and waking up too late) so just one last quickie craft to end the year....

If you're hosting a party on the 31st, you'll want to make some of these cute swizzle sticks that look just a bit like fireworks.  (They're also great for marking your glass as yours at the party!)

Here's what you need:

Materials:
-paper
-skewers
-cutting mat
-straight edge
-scissors and sharp craft knife
-glue runner

I used this super cool holographic origami paper I picked up in Thailand but you can use anything you have on hand.

Steps:
1) Cut your paper into 2" strips.

2) If you're using short paper like I am, run some glue along the short edge of your cut pieces and connect together to make one long piece 12-18" long.

3) Fringe the long edge of your paper by cutting in about 1.5" every 1/4" or so.  If you're lucky enough to have those cool Martha Stewart fringing scissors then this would be a great time to pull them out~

4) Run your glue runner along the long uncut side of your paper on the wrong side.

5) And just start winding your paper around the end of your skewer.

6) Almost done...once your paper is secure use your scissors to bend the paper out like you do on ribbons on gifts.

The only thing left to do now is to fill up your glass, drop your stick in, and toast in the New Year in crafty style!

Thanks for a fun and awesome 2012 everyone!  Here's to an even better 2013!

Happy New Year!

Pretty Journals

Now that Christmas is over I can show you some of the gifts I made to give away this year, like these two pretty journals for two pretty ladies I know.

 The truth is I had to make these.  While I was out Christmas shopping I picked up a pad of gorgeous paper for myself from the bargain bin.  To pay penance I decided to use some of it to make a gift.

The pink one was given to my sister, who's had a very stressful year.  I added the bookmark just for her~

I love the papers on the other one too.  They almost look like fabric!

Each journal got lots of pretty tabs and pockets inside.

Did you pick up anything for yourself while you were out buying for others?  Or am I the only one who as a bad girl?  Leave a comment~

PS...Happy Boxing Day!

Merry Christmas!

Hor d'oeuvres Picks

I don't have much time these days for crafting but I did manage to get one more quickie project in that I needed for the big family Christmas Eve dinner I'm hosting:

Here's what you need if you really want to impress your dinner guests with the handmade touch:

Materials:
-polymer clay
-wooden tooth picks or skewers
-sharp craft knife
-optional: clay molds, clay cutters, etc.

Steps:
1) Condition your clay by rolling it between your hands.  It should be nice and soft.

2) Press your clay into your mold.  If you don't have any molds (they're super easy to make though), you can roll out your clay and cut it into shapes with a knife or small clay/cookie cutters.

3) I like to over fill my mold a bit and then cut off the excess with a knife.  That way I know the clay has gotten into the very edges of the shape.

4) You'll need two of the same shape for every pick.

This is actually a button mold that I made, but  I thought
for this project they looked a lot like snowflakes~

5) Make a sandwich with one clay piece facing out, a tooth pick or skewer, and then another clay piece also facing out.  Gently press the clay together, trying not to distort the shape.

6) Line a tray, place all of your pieces on it and get it ready to bake.  Don't worry about them touching the bottom of the tray, they shouldn't stick.

7) Follow the baking directions on the package of your clay.  Every brand and formula is different but I usually bake mine at around 175 degrees for 17 minutes.  Normally I would double bake them, but these will probably get thrown out after I use them so there's no need to go all out with them.

Once they're finished baking, just let them cool down and they're ready to use!

You can go all out and make each one special and use them as stir sticks for drinks so that everyone knows which glass is theirs!

Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Are you ready for Christmas yet?!?!?!  I'm still making gifts!  Yikes!

Christmas Card Round Up

Just one more look at ALL of the cards I made for Christmas this year:

Feel free to click through and pin~