By Noreen Doll. Crafting with clothespins is a necessity for me. They are one of the items I absolutely must have in my craft tool kit. They are so handy as a third hand when I don't have quite enough hands to hold a project. In this photo the clothespins are holding two things together while stitching around to attach them together. I always use spring … [Read more...] about Crafting With Clothespins
Tips
Bug Scoop for the Squeamish!
Dead or alive! by Noreen Doll. Make an easy bug scoop with a cardboard tube. Anyone who has spent much time around kids is aware that there are some who really, really don't want to handle bugs. (There are even a few adults like that.) I recently came up with an idea for picking up a bug - dead or alive - without actually having to touch it. All you … [Read more...] about Bug Scoop for the Squeamish!
How to Remove Permanent Ink from a Project
by Noreen Doll. I love to use Sharpies for my craft projects! They have such bright colors and are so easy to use - much easier than a brush. They come with fat, medium or fine tips, so you can find the perfect size for your project. Sometimes, however, when I am deep into a craft my pen slips and I leave a blotch of ink where I didn't mean to. I've discovered … [Read more...] about How to Remove Permanent Ink from a Project
Craft with Cereal Boxes
by Noreen Doll. There are lots of clever ways to craft with cereal boxes. And one of the best things about using them is that they're free! Use cracker and cereal boxes for patterns. In order to be sure you always have a supply of cracker or cereal box cardboard, save all your boxes. To keep them from taking up too much space, open out the ends of the boxes and … [Read more...] about Craft with Cereal Boxes
How to Mark Dark Fabric or Paper for Cutting
by Noreen Doll. When you are trying to trace a pattern onto dark fabric or paper, it's often hard to find a medium that will show up but not leave a permanent mark. One of the things I like to use for this is a piece of white chalk. It shows up well on dark materials and can be wiped off when you are finished cutting. If the chalk mark is on fabric, you can just … [Read more...] about How to Mark Dark Fabric or Paper for Cutting
Kids Craft Tips
© by Noreen Doll. Using these great kids craft tips will help you and your kids have more fun crafting, with less clean up afterwards. Shower Curtain Idea. Use an old shower curtain - or buy one for $1 at the Dollar Store - for a crafting surface. Lay it on the table, the floor, the back porch, or in your yard and you won't have to worry about spills or … [Read more...] about Kids Craft Tips
Frugal Craft Tips
© by Noreen Doll. By using these frugal craft tips, there are many creative ways you can help keep your costs down. Use What You Have. Look for ways to use what you already have: fabric or craft paper scraps, cereal boxes you can cover with pretty paper, bits of ribbon, or silk flowers for embellishing. Newspaper Patterns. Use newspaper to make trial patterns of … [Read more...] about Frugal Craft Tips
General Craft Tips
© by Noreen Doll. Here are some great craft tips to make your crafting easier and more fun! Crafting Surface. One of my best general craft tips is to cover a large piece of cardboard or a cookie sheet with sides with a piece of waxed paper. Pull it around the edges and tape it to the bottom. This gives you a protected work surface to craft, paint and glue … [Read more...] about General Craft Tips
Frugal Crafting
© by Noreen Doll. Frugal crafting is a part of how I create. i don't like to throw away perfectly usable things, so I try to find ways to turn them into something useful. Cardboard is something I use a lot of, and I recycle cracker and cereal boxes as well as corrugated boxes. Cardboard is very handy for making book and notebook covers because you cover them with … [Read more...] about Frugal Crafting
How to Prevent Ink/Paint Bleed When Crafting
by Noreen Doll. Sometimes you want to paint or stamp on an item that lets the ink or paint bleed, such as unfinished wood. An easy way to prevent the bleed is to coat the item you want to paint with white Elmers glue that's been lightly thinned with water. Cover the entire item with the mixture and let it dry completely. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the … [Read more...] about How to Prevent Ink/Paint Bleed When Crafting
Make Your Own Paint Color
by Noreen Doll. One way to be frugal is to make your own paint. I don't mean to actually make your own paint from scratch, but to combine colors to make new colors or shades of colors. The other day I was working on a Halloween craft and I needed orange spray paint. For most crafting, unless I'm making an heirloom item, I use cheaper paints. So I like to use Walmart's … [Read more...] about Make Your Own Paint Color
Crafting Mistake
© by Noreen Doll. What do you do when you make a crafting mistake? Throw the whole project away? Try to fix it or erase it? Change it into something new? Or just finish it in a whole new way? Today I was making gift bags. I made the initial one last night but didn't have time to do more than one. So today I thought I would finish the other 11 bags I needed. Because … [Read more...] about Crafting Mistake
