Celebrate Mom with a gift of pretty jewelry. Moms generally will love anything you give to them for Mother’s Day, but with jewelry it’s a guarantee they will love it! Here is a project that is simple to make using some Mod Podge and Martha Stewart craft stencils. Amy Anderson designed this project. The instructions for this Fair Isle Necklace and Earrings can be found below. This craft will not take longer than an hour to create, and it is perfect for beginners to make.

PLAID Supplies

·       Martha Stewart Crafts™ Fair Isle Dots Adhesive Stencils

·       Mod Podge ® Dimensional Magic, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Shrinkable craft film (like Shrinky Dinks Shrinkable Plastic in Almond), Paint markers (like Sakura Permapaque), 2 earring backs, 1 large jump ring, 1 silver chain, Circle cutter or other circular items to make a template, 3/4” hole punch, Jewel glue, Scissors, Pencil

Instructions

1.   You will first need to cut your shrinkable plastic into three circles – one larger for the necklace and two smaller for the earrings. To do this, either use a circle cutter or find household items to trace. I used a funnel for the necklace and a jar lid for the earrings. Put the items on the surface of the shrinkable plastic and trace. Keep in mind that your plastic will shrink to 1/3 of its current size.

2.   Carefully cut the plastic using your scissors. Cut slowly.

3.   Choose your adhesive stencils and place onto the plastic. Use your paint markers to color in the stencil designs. Pull up the stencil and allow the paint marker to dry. Don’t touch the paint for several minutes or you will smear it. Tip: Your stencils may have a little residual marker ink on them, but they are perfectly fine use again for painting!

4.   Repeat on both the large circle and the two smaller circles until you have the design that you like.

5.   Punch a hole in the necklace with the hole punch.

6.   Bake the shrinkable plastic according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Let cool.

7.   Apply Dimensional Magic over the top of the necklace and earring circles. Let dry overnight.

8.   Apply a second coat of Dimensional Magic (if desired) and let dry overnight.

9.   Attach the jump ring and the chain to the necklace. Attach the earring backs to the earring circles using jewel glue.

10. Let dry for 24 hours before gifting!

Happy hump day crafters. We are at the mid point of the workweek, and it the first day of May. Can you believe it? May is here and that means Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Many gifts and crafts you can make for this special occasion include the word, Mom. Today we wanted to share with you a project that is not your traditional Mother’s Day gift, but still one that is sure to make her smile. Check out these gold dot coffee mugs. Andrea from Worley House created these easy to make mugs. This project makes a chic gift for your Mom. Andrea used some ceramic mugs she found at the Dollar Store, and some gold metallic paint from Martha Stewart. This would be a great project for tweens and teens to make for their mothers. It is a simple yet creative way to jazz up some basic mugs. To see step by step how Andrea made these mugs click here.

Can you believe that Easter is only a few weeks away? It comes early this year, but there is still plenty of time to get crafty. One of the most popular Easter projects for kids to create are Easter eggs. Kids will love making paper wrapped Easter eggs with strips of paper and Mod Podge. Cathie and Steve created this paper wrapped egg using our special Mod Podge Wash Out formula. This formula is special because it is kid friendly. If they accidentally spill some on their clothes, it washes right out. Below are all the supplies you will need below, along with their instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       Plaid ® Hot Glue Gun Helpers

·       Mod Podge ® Wash Out For Kids, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

Easter egg shape (plastic/wood or real)
Foam paintbrush
Scrapbook paper
Scissors
Bird nest
moss
Hot glue

Instructions

1. Cut the sheet of scrapbook paper into 1/4” strips.  Apply Mod Podge to the back and front of the strip, position one end on the egg and begin wrapping the egg with the strip in a random pattern.  Repeat the process until the entire egg is covered.  Allow to dry.

2. Hot glue a palm-full of moss to the center of the nest.  Hot glue the egg into the nest.

PROJECT TIP:  Add a touch of glitter by top coating the egg with Sparkle Mod Podge.

Congrats you have made it to the half way mark of your work/school week. We hope you have been able to spend sometime crafting this week, but if not no worries we have just the project guaranteed to inspire you. Feast your eyes on these DIY vintage photo stacking blocks. How awesome are they? Mackenzie from Cheerios and Lattes created this for her two little boys. To make this fun project Mackenzie used a few supplies including our new Mod Podge Photo transfer medium. This product is a hot craft item right now, and all over Pinterest you can see many people photo transferring on crafty projects. If you are in love with these blocks as much as we are, then head on over to her blog to see step by step how she created them. Enjoy!

Materials Needed

Mod Podge Photo Transferring Medium

Mod Podge Gloss

3 (2 inch) wooden blocks from your local craft store

Camera

Computer

Printer

Paintbrush

Small Sponge

Everyone wants to feel like a winner, and what better way to make someone feel that way, then by giving them a trophy. Trophies are great to use for several occasions, game nights, sporting event, birthday parties, and more. Kids more so than adults really get a kick out of winning a trophy. With this trophy project, our Plaid creative team has made it very easy to create your own using FolkArt Extreme Glitter. Create this trophy to have handy the next time to want to make your little one feel special. All the supplies needed can be found below, and to see the instructions click here.

PLAID Supplies

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

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

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

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

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Engine Red, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Artists Pigments™ - Pure Black, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Metallics - Silver Anniversary, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Metallics - Pure Gold, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

6” Flower pot
Candle stick
4” flower pot saucer
6” Flower Pot Saucer
2 dancing “G” wood letters
Red fun foam
2 Silver chenille stems
1 gold chenille stem
Black permanent ink marker Glue Craft Knife and Blades Large Flat Brushes

Did you know glitter could be used in almost every crafty project? It’s true, and many crafters love embellishing every project they make with glitter. You’re never too young to start using glitter. Now you may not want your little ones using glitter, because they may make a mess but we found a project that may not be too messy. Over on Punk Projects we found these awesome glitter buttons. They were made using Mod Podge. This is such a simple and fun project, perfect to do at home or in a classroom. You won’t need many supplies, and you can use several different glitter colors. To see how this project was made visit Punk Projects.

It’s Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and were able to create a craft project. If you were not able to craft this weekend, no worries here is an easy craft you can create with your kids during the week. These chalkboard painted clay pots are very easy to create, and make for a great springtime project. For this project you will not need many supplies. Aside from the clay pots, you will only need some Apple Barrel and chalkboard paint. So simple and so fun.

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Bright Yellow, 8 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Leaf Green, 8 oz.

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

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Bright Blue, 8 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Chalkboard Paint - Black, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

2 medium size clay pots
Chalk
#12 flat brush
Sponge brush
Liner brush

Instructions

1.   Paint first pot body Bright Blue – rim with Leaf Green.

2.   Paint oval with Black Chalkboard paint.

3.   Dot around oval area with red dots using end of brush to apply.

4.   Use #12 flat brush to make color circles with red and Yellow. Use Liner brush to paint black leaves, stems and spiral on flowers.

5.   Paint second pot body Barn Red – rim with Leaf Green. Paint circle with Black Chalkboard Paint. Paint yellow petals around black center. Use liner brush to outline all petals with black. Using handle of brush, dot around black center with Leaf Green. Add Curly-Q’s and leaves with Black. Fill in leaf shapes with Leaf Green. Note: Let cure for 24 hours. Rub lightly with chalk to condition.

Valentine’s Day is a great holiday for kids to craft. There are so many simple craft projects for them to make to celebrate this day. Take this Tissue Paper Valentine project. This is so cute and simple. All you need is some glitter Mod Podge, and tissue paper. See below for a full supply list, and instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       Mod Podge ® Glitter - Hologram Silver, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

-Glass vase any shape – clean and dry
-1 sheet each of tissue paper in colors of choice (used on this project: pink; red; purple; silver)
-Scissors
-#12 flat brush
-Liner brush

Instructions

1.    Cut or tear tissue paper in small random shapes.

2.    Paint thin coat of Mod Podge onto outside of vase in a 6” square area.

3.    Place small pieces of random colors of tissue paper into wet Mod Podge letting them overlap slightly. Brush on Mod Podge over top of applied tissue. Brush more Mod Podge adjacent to the area just completed and continue to place tissue until vase is covered with tissue.

4.    Cut heart shapes from silver paper. Use Mod Podge to attach to project where desired.

5.    Use liner brush to apply Mod Podge around hearts and write “LOVE.”

This is a cute little birdhouse for spring that will definitely will add some color to any room. I just love the cute little worm and lady bug, and the delightfully fun color palette! Crafty Dream used her Cricuit to create the bird shapes, scrapbook paper and Apple Barrel paint, as well as Mod Podge for Glue.

Paper Plate Globe For Earth Day

Cotton Ball Tree

Green Guy Plastic Grocery Bag Caddy Milk Jug Recycle Craft for Earth Day

Tin Can Herb Pots

Kid Binoculars

Special Words Pencil Holder

Make Halloween season more laughable this with this friendly and affable mummy.

Popsicle Stick Puzzles are gaining in popularity, with good reason. These customized puzzles are fun and easy to make! You just need some art (book illustrations or even something you created) Mod Podge, popsicle sticks, a paint or craftingbrush and a cutting tool.

Crafts and Art for Children has a great example with directions here: http://craftsandartforchildren.blogspot.com/2010/07/dinosaur-popsicle-stick-puzzle-start.html

We used one of our wooden plaques to make this 'garden snake' sign, but this idea could be adapted a million ways!

We're celebrating summer with some really fun Gallery Glass projects. Up first is this cute, whimsical butterfly cling. Clings are easy to make and fun to display in windows around the house. And Gallery Glass in non-toxic and a great craft for camp, school, VBS or family crafting.

If you're looking for a fun and easy Easter basket suitable for boys, you'll love this robot basket. Made with Mod Podge, a paint tin and scrapbook papers, this basket is a great craft project to make with the kids.

Mini cereal boxes become fun robot crafts with just a little paint. See the project.

Here's a spiffy way to recycle and reuse stuff you may have around the house AND  create a great Valentine. This little card holder is made out of an empty ice cream container and covered with scrapbook paper. Sparkle Mod Podge gives it an extra special touch! What other household items can you use to make a V-Day card holder?

I like to acknowledge all the hard work that is put in by my son's teachers-especially on special occasions like Valentine's Day - but don't always have the time to do something really elaborate. Here's a great way to give a gift that is both from the heart and simple to make. Pour teacher’s favorite treats in mason or similar jars and use scrapbook paper to embellish. To give the paper a super smooth shine or a little glimmer, seal with Mod Podge. There are so many variations on this idea - you can even plant a small flower or make a mini terrarium in similar jars.

I've never been to Japan, but I love Japanese arts and design. I was delighted to find the Origami Mommy blog, about a crafty  family that lives in Japan.Origami Mommy Shares how to make trucks out of everyday milk cartons. Her truck tutorial that can be found here features real functioning wheels. See the project here:
http://www.origamimommy.org/2009/07/recycled-milk-carton-truck-tutorial-.html#comments

 The Japanese packaging that she uses for these makes them even more special.

We love desk set revamps. They are easy to do and add a new look to a room. This desk set is so cute and trend-right with the popularity of the new Princess and the Frog movie. I also love the cool color combinations of green and purple-not traditional girl colors but definitely very cute and unique.

You can pick up the unfinished surfaces at your local craft store or use surfaces you already have handy. What a great way to get your favorite girl's room organized for the new year.

If you are anything like me, you'll be spending the next few weeks organizing, cleaning and making room in your home for new toys and gifts. The end of the year is a great time to get organized- everone likes to start the begining of the year with a clean slate. And I, like many, love to free up mental and physical space for new creative projects that I have on the horizon.

I like to apply this concept to my children's play area as well. I'm trashing, donating, and otherise clearing out oldies, as well as doing a little winter cleeaning at home. And on Plaid Kids Crafts,  I'll be featuring projects over the next few days that combine creativity and organization. The first is this chalkboard toy box. Whether you have an old chalkboard that needs a fresh coat or paint, or you've found one at your local thrift store, you can give your box new life with FolkArt Chalkboard paint. This toy box is simple and easy to do and provides a new surface for customizing with the children. Happy crafting.

Cute and quick ornaments for the holidays. We used unfinished wood surfaces from the local craft store and only needed a few paint colors. This is a great project to complete while the kids are home.

What could be easier than these super cute, super easy trees. Use them as a classrooom decoration or on your favorite tabletop.
Tissue Paper, yarn and styrofoam forms..what could be easier?

I love penguins, next to fuzzy white polar bears, they are definitely my favorite holiday critters. That's why this penguin frame is so cute. Kids can make these for gifts for teachers, grandparents and friends.

Those tiny little pots that you can find in the craft store for way less than a dollar can become the perfect surface for minature pilgrim hats. These litte hats can be hung like ornaments or used as place settings on a Thanksgiving day table. However you use them, they are super fun and easy to make!

Quickly becoming one of my favorite craft Resources, Craft Jr has featured a very easy, very cute Halloween Decoupage project. Here's a picture and preview, but for step by step instructions, check out the site here.

 

I found these cute robots posted on That Artist Woman blog on my weekly quest for kids crafts projects. The robot bodies are made out of candy boxes-the theater candy type, then adorned with craft paint and a few household craft supplies. Click here for instructions.

These are the all new Activity Stencils from Plaid. They feature the most popular designs for school-themed crafting, like sports, recycling and nature.  A must have for your craft closet! Go to Plaidonline.com to see more

 

      
Turn old clothespins into cute clips with paint, googly eyes and craft pipe cleaners.

Egg crates and paper plates transformed into cute little creatures! Let your kids craft these easy and fun project.

Kids Craft Weekly has a fun craft activity posted this month on mermaids! Click here to see the pics and make the projects!

  

What can you do with a paper plate? We crafted a variety of fun animals with a few paper plates and cups. Check out the goldfish here and visit Plaidonline.com to see the rest.

Our friends at http://www.anitasarts.com/ sent us this green Father's Day Gift project that uses recycled oatmeal boxes to make containers for dad's desk. This is a great project to do with younger children. Check out the post here for step-by-step instructions and other great craft ideas.

 

There are so many crafting options with Texture paint. Let your kids be the guide in creating fun projects like this. What can you make with texture paint?

This week marks the end of the school year for many students. Between camp, summer vacations and weekends, the summer offers many opportunities for planned and spontaneous crafting. Get your craft chest stocked up with crafting supplies. Here's is our list of essentials:

Hate bugs? Check out the newest addition of
Kids Crafts Weekly for a whole lot of bugs projects you are
sure to love!

Take a little glitter, a holiday napkin, some cork and a coat of Mod Podge to make these cute coasters.  Make great gifts!

Beautiful Coffee Filters from Dishpan Dribble.

  

Give a hoot and make this Owl Barrette Holder. This project was created by our favorite crafty duo, Cathie-and-Steve. Owl's are a hot decor tream, so this Barette Holder is the perfect craftfor your favorite tween. Make the project and check out more on Cathie and Steve, here.

Skip to My Lou is a place to craft, create and celebrate! From food ideas to crafty projects,this blog features great photography, seasonal projects and all around resources for family fun. Check out the easy Holiday Beverage Markers, above.

Make this cute reindeer for Christmas using new Folk Art Texture paint. All you'll need is a two small flower pots, some embellishments and paint!

Help your children show how thankful they are with this great little turkey with grateful feathers. This projected was posted by Parents.com. The Turkey is made with yarn, scrabook paper and a few other supplies. See this project and other great project ideas here.

Our first fall craft roundup includes fun, simple projects for younger kids. These project are great for classroom settings or at-home crafting. Enjoy!

• Fall Leaves Recipe Holder Craft by Apples4teacher.com
• Craft projects for smaller kids by DLTK
• Fall Door Hanger by Mycraftbook.com

The photo above shows easy-to-make recipe holders from Apples4teacher.com.

Make this scary spider for Halloween using new Folk Art Texture paint. All you'll need is a small flower pot, some embellishments and paint!

Craft Elf has a database of halloween craft projects. Most are great for young kids and use materials you probably already have around the house, like this Pumpkin light madw out of acrylic paint and a Mason Jar. See the Halloween projects.

Making a plate with decoupage is easy. All you need is tissue paper or gift wrap and Mod Podge. You can create very simple or uniquely complex designs with a little practice. Teens love to decoupage so this makes a great family or party project.

Make sure you look for new surfaces from Plaid at your favorite local retailers. We'll be posting some very cute Halloween projects in the next few days.

Are you ready to be inspired? Check out Creative Juice hosts Steve and Cathie's comments here on Plaid's new Chalkboard paint, and don't miss their gallery of ideas featuring this new paint. Plaid's Chalkboard paint is the perfect product for making a chalkboard writing surfac and oh so great for kid-friendly crafts. And you know you how much your kids would love a chalkboard wall in their room...

Who says crafting with kids can't be elegant, too? We love these beautiful plates using your child's silouhette from WonderTime. Take a profile picture of your child, grab your Mod-Podge and create these plates in minutes. Get full instructions here.
p.s. These make great gifts!

ROAR!  Bring out that inner Dinosaur with these Dino-Mite Dino-Tees!  Here's an idea:  Throw a Dinosaur-themed birthday party and pass these out as parting gifts-- or, gather the kids around to create their own Dino-Tee to take home with them!

      
Every little girl at some point in her life wants a cute little purse to tote around--to be just like mommy!  This small bag is perfect for her to hold all those important things, like... crayons, toys, candy, bubbles, etc.  She'll feel pretty as a princess!  This project is fun to make and she'll really want to strut her stuff when she's finished creating it!  So get out those old faded blue jeans you know you'll never wear again and get started!

      
Next week is the end of the school year for my first grader. If this year is like past years he'll come home with a folder full of papers, projects and art that he's accumulated. Then, I have the hard job of sorting through, discarding (ugh!) and organizing the keepers. So I am planning on preserving some of the best work and using it for gifts and such. Here's a cute idea for saving kid's art that started as just a plain unfinshed tray.