Kids Crafts Newsletter
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Kids Crafts is full of fun, crafty projects, awesome activities, bright ideas, links to great kid-friendly sites and more, brought to you by Plaid.
 Sunday, December 18, 2011

Plaid’s 12 Days of Christmas: 7 days to go


How adorable is this? And would you believe it is so simple to create. This framed circle button tree has a Victorian romance vibe to it. It is a beginner level craft that would be perfect for your pre-teen or teenager to create. This project was created by one of talented designers, Chris Williams. To learn how to make this craft click here to see the supplies needed, and the step by step instructions.
#  Posted in: Christmas | FolkArt | Mod-Podge | tweens | Winter Comments [5]   Trackback

 
 Thursday, August 18, 2011

Teaching Thursdays: Dorm Decor
By: Candie Cooper (See more by Candie on her blog, Candie Cooper's Journal)



This morning I was listening to a story about the movie, "American Grafitti" on NPR.  American Graffiti is about kids living in a small town one more summer before shipping out to college.  My story is pretty much the same, except I didn't race cars at the end.  It seemed like it took forever for orientation day to come.  I also remember picking out things like a twin size comforter, crates, a futon and shower caddy for my dorm at Purdue.  If you have someone heading to college this year, this is a great send-off gifty for the recent grad.  They are stackable nesting boxes that can be tucked anywhere and hold everything from chewing gum and shots of espresso to flashcards (at least that's what mine would've held).



These are the boxes---see how they fit together so cute?



Pick out the die cuts and lay them out in the boxes.  It helps to take a picture before painting so you can see how you arranged them when it comes time to Mod Podge.



Base coat the boxes in whatever colors you like---school colors would be fun too!  If you look at the brushes above, you'll see a flat, angled and then another flat paint brush.  The angled brush is key for getting into corners.  I used Apple Barrel paints for this project because they are a little thinner than Folk Art.  The boxes soaked up the paints and dried really fast.



Dry brushing is my favorite surface painting technique.  It's easy and looks cool when done.  Try some Silver Anniversary Folk Art paint for this step.  My mom actually painted while I took pictures. Insert me saying, "now, hold still"....."ok, hold still"...."i REALLY need you to hold still."  We have fun.  She's the queen painter in the family.



The key to dry brushing is using a really coarse haired brush, dipping it in paint and removing most of the paint off to the side.  Soft bristle brushes don't work.  Run the brush along your wood surface in whichever direction you like.  You can always practice on a scrap surface first.



Use Mod Podge gloss to adhere all the die cuts---this is where the photo that you took earlier comes in handy to figure out placement.  Photos or school mascot bumper stickers would also be great embellishments.



Now you'll need the small and large flat brushes (see photo above) to make some stripes around the top of the boxes.  The inner and very outer boxes get tiny stripes and the middle large stripes.  This looks really cool when they're all together. 



A tip for making stripes is to have your brush fully loaded with paint to create really solid stripes.  Less paint makes for brushier stripes. 



Seal all of the boxes with Folk Art Gloss acrylic varnish.  This makes everything look nice and finished.  Let's take a look at all the boxes....








As usual, I want a set of these for holding instant coffee and teas, tubes of seed beads and lip gloss.  Looking at that list, I still feel a bit young at heart. 

Wishing you a great back to school season, I am...Candie



#  Posted in: Apple-Barrel | Mod-Podge | school-crafting | Teaching Thursday | tweens Comments [9]   Trackback

 
 Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Together Tuesday -- Breezy Summer Pendant
by Candie Cooper



With the hot days of summer on our heels, my mind takes me back to swimming at Grandma's pool, Popsicles on the porch swing, hose fights with my sister (when we were really supposed to be washing the car), flip flops, lightning bugs, and trips to the lake.  My mom always had little craft projects for us to make with our friends on the front porch.  With that in mind, here is a quick and easy jewelry project that you can make together this summer.



Materials:
Mod Podge
Paint brush
Fabric scraps
Clear acrylic pendants
Large jump ring
Extra bead embellishments, head pins, jump rings (optional)
Ribbon or leather (20" for each necklace)
Scissors
Tapestry needle



Cut a piece of fabric slightly larger than your pendant.  I used 100% cotton because it's super flexible which formed around the pendant easily.



Paint a coat of Mod Podge on the back of the crystal and place fabric on top.  Roll the crystal on it's side to burnish the fabric in place.  Set aside to dry.



Trim excess fabric around the edge of the pendant.



Seal the fabric with 2 more coats of Mod Podge and leave to dry. (tip: you can use a hair dryer to speed the drying process a bit)



Use a tapestry needle to poke a hole through the fabric where it hangs from.  Beaded embellishments can be added as well with extra jump rings, bits of chain, etc...  (Another tip: Mis-matched earrings make great added dangles, too, because they are essentially pre-made.)  If you want more tips on how to make your own jewelry, check out my jewelry making video on PlaidOnline.



String the pendant onto a piece of leather, ribbon or cord of your choice.
Tie around your neck with a bow for summer fun style!
#  Posted in: Camp-Craft | Mod-Podge | quick-and-easy | tweens Comments [22]   Trackback

 
 Friday, April 08, 2011

Easy "Stained Glass" Votives



Jenny Ryan wanted an easy and inexpensive way to display votive candles, and came up with this "stained glass" look using items she had on hand. You and your kids can cut custom shapes if you don't have any paper punches. See how to make this project on Craftzine.
#  Posted in: Mod-Podge | quick-and-easy | tweens Comments [2]   Trackback

 
 Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Apple Barrel on Foam- For a Girl's Room

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Here at Plaid, we're totally into all of the crafting projects you can create with Apple Barrel paint and foam. Apple Barrel covers great on Foam. Make home decorating projects, kids crafts and more, like this cute butterfly door sign.

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#  Posted in: room-decorating | tweens Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 Monday, May 03, 2010

Crafts for Kids- Mother's Day

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Mother's Day is coming up this weekend. I love these simple bangles made with tissue paper and Mod Podge.

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#  Posted in: Mod-Podge | tweens Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 Monday, October 26, 2009

The perfect craft for kids- fall apron


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!!

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#  Posted in: Cathie-and-Steve | Fall | party-ideas | Thanksgiving | tweens Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 Friday, February 13, 2009

Owl Barrette Holder
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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.


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#  Posted in: blogs | Mod-Podge | quick-and-easy | room-decorating | tweens | Cathie-and-Steve Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 Monday, September 22, 2008

Mod Podge Plate

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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.

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#  Posted in: Halloween | paper-crafts | quick-and-easy | tweens Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Hannah Stamp Ideas


Here is a cute project using the new stamps, posted by Basket Full of Stamps. Her daughter helped pick the colors and mom did the stamping. The results, a cery cute project suited for any young star. See her whole entry here.

#  Posted in: tweens | paper-crafts | Hannah-Montana Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 Wednesday, August 20, 2008

High School Musical

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Here is a new project featuring the new stamps from High School Musical. To see the whole line visit Plaidonline.com

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#  Posted in: room-decorating | tweens Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 Thursday, August 14, 2008

Hannah is here!

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Plaid has cool new stamps from Hannah Montana and High School Musical.
We'll be featuring some of the projects here over the next few weeks. Here's
a very cute Hannah Journal, perfect for back to school.

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#  Posted in: Hannah-Montana | tweens Comments [0]   Trackback

 
 

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