By Candie Cooper – To see more crafts by Candie visit her blog, Candie Cooper’s Journal

 

It's time to set the table for Thanksgiving with these cute napkin rings! Here's an easy idea that your family can make together to say what you're thankful for.

 

You will need a few magazines, Mod Podge, Extreme Glitter in gold or orange, silk leaves, scissors, buttons, decorative papers, cardstock and some paint brushes.

 

Have everyone cut out words they are thankful for from the magazines.

 

Mod Podge them to the decorative paper and cut into tags.

 

 

Paint a layer of Extreme Glitter onto the silk leaves and set aside to dry. Cut 1" wide strips from the card stock.

 

 

Form a loop with the 1" strips and glue (I used cool temp hot glue). Glue a leaf, tag and button on top. These would also be fun place cards with names instead of thankful words. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!!

By Candie Cooper – To see more crafts by Candie visit her blog, Candie Cooper’s Journal

 

Pumpkins are popping up on clearance aisles all over the place with Fall coming to a close.  Here's an idea that you can make using whatever collage materials you like.  

 

You'll need a pumpkin form, Folk Art paints in orange shades, Extreme Glitter in orange, Gold gilding paint from Martha Stewart or Gold Folk Art paint, Mod Podge, brushes and some papers.  I used dictionary, but you can use colored tissue paper or any thin paper.

 

Tear the dictionary paper into small pieces. Use a foam brush to paint Mod Podge on the pumpkin and add paper, sealing each piece with MP as you go.  It takes a few seconds for the paper to saturate, but once it does it's easier to form around the pumpkin and smooth out with your brush.

 

Put some water in a small cup and paint on a pallet.  Dip your brush in water and then into paint and brush over the pumpkin.  This makes the paint thinner so you can see the paper.  Add as many paint layers as you like.

 

Seal the pumpkin with a layer of Extreme Glitter in orange.  This will make the pumpkin shiny and sparkly.  Optionally, you can paint gold stripes in between each of the ridges with a small brush.

 

Find some embellishments such as a few leaves or a pretty ribbon.  I stamped the tag above but you could print something from the computer too.

 

Arrange your embellishments on top and hot glue in place.

 

The paper adds such a fun texture to all the layers.  I made these with a craft club and it was so fun to see how each person's turned out!

Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. This time of the year flies by so quickly, that you can easily forget to create some ways to occupy your little ones. Crafts are a great way to let your kids be creative, and keep their hands busy. This festive turkey is a perfect craft project to make with kids for Thanksgiving or fall. This turkey was made with Apple Barrel paints. All the supplies needed are below, along with their instructions. Happy crafting!

 

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Bright Red, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - White, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Nutmeg Brown, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Orange, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Cardinal Crimson, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Paintbrushes
Craft glue
Pencil
Poster board
Craft foam sheets – yellow and red
Styrofoam® ball & cone

Instructions

1.    Trim 1” off top of cone. Paint ball and cone Nutmeg Brown.

2.    Trace child’s hands onto poster board.  Cut around traced lines to create two poster board cutouts. Paint one side of cutouts solid Orange and let dry. Flip cutouts and paint in a variety of colors using Orange, Bright Red and Cardinal Crimson.  Dip handle end of paintbrush in White paint then add small dots to cutouts as desired.   Set aside to dry.

3.     Cut a beak, feet and a rough circle from yellow foam.  Paint white lines on circle.  Cut wings and wattle from red craft foam.

4.    Paint eyes on ball then glue wattle and beak to create turkey head.

 

By Candie Cooper – See more of Candie’s crafts on her blog, Candie Cooper’s Journal

 

When the Frost is On the Punkin' by James Whitcomb Riley was my inspiration for creating these little pumpkins. See the glittery frost?

 

They light up too! With all the frosty mornings, the glow is sure to warm you up! 

 

These are the basic supplies: Mod Podge gloss, tissue paper, clear jar (plastic will also work), paint brush, tiny battery operated light, and tissue paper in orange and green. By the way, the dollar store has several glass dishes with lids.

 

Tear the paper into small pieces.

Paint the Mod Podge onto the jar and put a layer of tissue paper down as you go. Seal each layer with Mod Podge as you go. Repeat with the green around the top.

 

Optionally, you can add some wire and beads for vines. Wrap green wire around the top and leave 5 inch tails on both sides. To curl the tails, wrap the wire around a pencil, twisting and twirling as you go. You can add beads in between curls. Ribbon and raffia would also look good tied around the top.

 

Frost the pumpkins by painting Mod Podge around the top and shaking glitter on top. Love that sparkle!

 

Drop a battery operated tea light in the bottom and replace the lid. A group of these would look pretty on a mantel or in the center of the Thanksgiving table.

 

Fun in the daytime!

 

Magical at night!  

*Just to be on the safe side, it is recommended not to leave these unattended while lit.  

Aww dry your eyes, Halloween maybe over but that signals the countdown to Thanksgiving. This is a great time of year to craft there are so many colorful crafts like this centerpiece. You can create a candleholder centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table, or use on any table. Cathie and Steve designed this project. They created it using Mod Podge and Stiffy. All the materials you will need are below, and click here to find the complete instructions.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       Stiffy ® Fabric Stiffener, 8 oz.

·       Plaid ® Hot Glue Gun Helpers

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Gold, 5 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Fabric, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

Woven fiber placemat (round)
Large craft bowl
Tin foil
Medium craft bowl
Burlap fabric
Glass candleholder cylinder
Fall fabric motif
Foam pumpkin
Craft knife
Fall floral picks
Fall leaf trim
Fall silk flowers
Fall felt leaf ribbon
Hot glue

 

By Candie Cooper - To see more crafts from Candie check out her blog, Candie Cooper's Journal

Fall is here, the birds have flown south, and the rats and spiders have taken over! Decorate plain birdhouses with different Plaid products to get spooky houses like these. Here's how!

 

Paint your houses in whatever Halloween Folk Art colors you like. Add coats of Extreme Glitter for a bit of sparkle---I used Peridot over Calypso Sky Folk Art paint. For the green house, tiny sequins were sprinkled over a coat of Mod Podge Outdoor. A piece of black net was cut to lay over the rooftop, dipped in Stiffy and laid over the top to dry as well.  Stiffy makes any fabric surface rigid. Flat back crystals and embellishments were added with Mod Podge too.

 

Gallery Glass isn't just for glass! Use it to create a shiny slimy look on wood too as seen just above the spider. Ribbon was hot glued to the top in a loopy fashion to add a whimsical touch.

 

Little rats from the Dollar Store have been painted with Silver Outdoor Folk Art paint. You can glue them to the house with multi-purpose adhesive or let them scatter about. You can paint a spider web on the front or use a permanent marker to draw one.

 

Check out Plaid Crafts YouTube channel to see more Halloween ideas including the techniques used on these birdhouses. These houses are not completely outdoor proof so I'll be bringing the critters inside to set in my kitchen window. Happy crafting!

By Candie Cooper (See more from Candie on her blog, Candie Cooper's Journal)

With the weather getting chilly, these little guys are looking for a place to hide out! How about on your craft table under the work lamp?

 

I've looked at these reptile surfaces a thousand times in the wood section of the craft store. The cracks and crevices kept me away (and they were lizards and snakes after all). But! I know how much fun little boys and girls would have painting these creatures so I took stab (with a paint brush). Pick your favorite Apple Barrel and Folk Art paint colors and base coat, keeping a little water on your brush so the color seeps into the cracks.

 

Use a sponge to add a textured second color of green to the top or....

 

head outdoors to experiment painting with an old toothbrush. I flicked, brushed and splotched paint onto the lizard. It was messy, but so fun! Get really crazy and use a few colors.

The lizard came with a faux leather back piece, but I replaced it with colorful tie dyed felt. You can add more painted details and then outline them with a permanent marker so they show up. 

 

The snake got more painted stripes and dots with a felt tongue. Thick craft glue was used to hold the felt embellishments. Snakes usually give me the "willies," but not this one! He's too cute.

 

Friends forever. I ended up loving this craft so much. Now, I've got my sights set on the plain wooden car surfaces with moving parts. Stay tuned.

*If you want your creatures to be shiny, use a spray varnish before adding felt embellishments.

Make this pose-able pumpkin figure with pipe cleaners, paint and a wooden plaque.

      

This Halloween spoon witch makes a stir you can't resist!

      

A textured trick or treat bag craft makes a great place for your Halloween stash!

      

Glow-in-the-Dark FolkArt Texture Paint makes this cupcake look like a yummy spooky treat, but it's not to eat!

      

A one eyed monster that will happily hold your favorite treats!

We've entered our project at the Halloween Blog Carnival! Check out the contest here!

   

Acorns and fall leaves for a warm, sunny window. Window clings can be changed with the seasons.

Pumpkins are such a traditional fall item that Cathie Filian can't even imagine Halloween without them! Cathie and Steve have designed eleven new Halloween pumpkin craft projects for Plaid.

   

This sunny sun catcher says "fall is here!"

What's better than apple pie? Preserving your favorite recipes. I think this rolling pin makes a great project for tweens and teens and is a great fall decoration. Plus, it is really easy to make with a little Mod Podge! Made by our craft faves, Cathie-and-Steve!

       

 

You'll love the inspired story behind the Thanksging Tree crafted on The Hybrid Chick. It is not only a beautiful project, but will make you remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Take a look at the photo tutorial here.

It's turkey time and Mr. Gobble here is ready. He was made with texture paint. He would make a great class craft
or even a fun centerpiece!

       

 

Make sure you check out Mama Jenn's blog. She always has great resources for crafts, homeschoolers and families. I especially love these leaf coasters. It is a great time of year to gather leaves, and talk about the different types of trees in your neighborhood. Top it all off by making these adorable coasters. Instructions are here!

Last minute Halloween ideas? Here's a cute one from Cathie-and-Steve. Use a one gallon milk or water jug to make this Frankie pinanta.
       

 

Our craft duo Cathie and Steve made this cute apron for fall. It is great for both children and adults. You use an actual apple to make the stamp
design. What fun!!