By Candie Cooper - See more crafts by Candie on her blog, Candie Cooper's Journal

Avoid being pinched this St. Patty's day with these lucky pins. The shamrocks are made with fingerprints!

Paint a wood disc green and leave to dry. Follow up with a cluster of fingerprints in metallic Folk Art paint.

Outline the fingerprints in gold permanent marker to give it a clover shape. More doodles can be added to the surface as well with markers.

Adhere a gem to the center of the clover with Mod Podge. Apply a coat of Dimensional Magic. Laying the piece on a bed of rice keeps it level while it dries.

Once dry, the Dimensional Magic leaves a shiny seal over the marker and paint.

Glue a pin back onto the wood piece. To make it really jazzy add ribbons and trim!  

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

Can you believe the month of February is almost over? The first two months of the year are nearly done. With winter coming to a close, that means spring is upon us. Get a jump start on some cute spring projects, like these Styrofoam flowers and butterfly. Kindra Boroff designed this project. It is a pretty and easy to make bouquet of flowers and spring critters. This spring craft is a great one for kids to help create. Apple Barrel paint and Styrofoam go together like peanut butter and jelly. All the supplies you'll need, are below along with their instructions. Enjoy!

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Hot Pink, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Turquoise, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - White, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Black, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Leaf Green, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Canary Yellow, 2 oz.

·       Plaid ® Brush Sets - Learn-to-Paint - Brush Set with DVD

Other Supplies

Styrofoam –variety egg shape pack
Wood hearts
24 gauge wire
Black seed beads
1” half wood ball
2- 2” teardrop wood shapes
2- 1 ½” teardrops wood shapes
4-1” oval wood shapes
Green & white gingham fabric
2 ½” terra cotta pot
Dowel rod
Spanish moss
Hot glue
Knife
Toothpicks
Satin sealer.

Instructions

1. Cut three small foam eggs in half and basecoat with Turquoise.

2. Using the end of a brush handle and White, add polka dots to the foam as shown. Paint the half wood ball with Canary Yellow. When dry hot glue the Turquoise petals to the ball as shown. 

3. Mix Turquoise and White together to create a light blue and basecoat the terra cotta pot. Allow to dry and seal with the satin sealer.

4. Shape one large egg to make the butterfly body and paint with the light blue mixture.

5. Cut the fabric to cover the outside edge, hot glue around the pot and fold the rest inside the pot. Push foam into the pot leaving a ½” for the Spanish moss. Hot glue moss to the top of the foam as shown.

6. Cut the dowel rod to 8”for the butterfly and 6” for the small flower. Basecoat with Leaf Green.

7. Mix Hot Pink and White to create a light pink and paint the wood hearts. Paint the 2” teardrops with Hot Pink; Paint the 1 ½” teardrops with Canary Yellow; Paint the 1” ovals with Turquoise.

8. Insert the hearts into the sides of the butterfly body to create wings, hot glue if needed. Hot glue the painted shapes to the wings as shown.

9. Using the end of a brush handle and White, paint polka dots to the wings.

10. Paint Turquoise stripes to the body of the butterfly. Using Black and a liner brush paint the eyes and mouth.

11. Bead the seed beads onto the wire to create 3” antennas and stick into the foam.

12. Hot glue the flower to the 6” dowel rod and the butterfly to the 8” dowel rod. Insert into the flower pot.

By Candie Cooper – See more from Candie at Candie Cooper’s Journal

Jewelry is always fun to make!  Check out these peace pendants that you can paint in your favorite colors.

I got these pendants from an online auction site.  Paint both sides in desired Folk Art colors.  You don't have to leave them solid--streaks, dots and swirls would be fun too!

Once the pendants are dry, you can sand and distress the edges with sandpaper or a Mod Podge file.

Leave the peace signs distressed or seal with Folk Art Extreme Glitters.  Gems (or your favorite embellishments) can be added with Mod Podge. 

Twist a large jump ring open and attach to a silicone cord like this.  Ready to wear!

T.G.I.F. It’s Friday! It’s Friday! The week is finally over and the weekend is here. You now have two whole days to craft something new and amazing. Have anything in mind? If not, no worries we have been scouring the internet to give you some inspiration. Today we would like to share this springtime mason jar photo holder project. We discovered it on the blog, Spool and Spoon. This project was created using one of today’s most popular surfaces, Mason Jars, and Martha Stewart liquid glass fill paint and clings. We love how Jess designed this project. It is a great way to display pictures of your little ones. To see how Jess made this project visit here blog here.

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

The month of February is quickly coming to an end. Can you believe it? Wow time flies when you’re crafting. Get prepared for the upcoming spring season by getting a head start on your spring themed projects. Over on the blog Crafty Scrappy Happy, Jamie is getting ready for spring by creating this DIY Spring Pitcher. This project is actually very easy to make and is a nice upcycle project. To achieve these results, Jamie used items from the Martha Stewart glass painting program. To create this pitcher she used Martha Stewart clings and liquid fill paint. Have your kids help out by painting the clings with the fill paint. Once complete use this pitcher to pour your favorite springtime drinks. To learn how you can make this project click here.

Kids just like adults need to have storage areas. Think about it, they have books, toys, games, and more. Often time these if these things don’t have a place to be kept they end up all over the place. Help your little ones get organized by creating this sparkly trunk. Sherrie Ragsdale designed this eye-catching trunk using Mod Podge and FolkArt acrylic paints. This would be a great family activity to do one afternoon or weekend. With this project fell free to adjust the size of the trunk or box you use. All the supplies needed for this project can be found below. To find the complete instructions click here.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Hot Pink, 2 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Sparkle, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

Old travel trunk
6 different types of scrapbook paper
Hot pink glitter
4 large ball knobs
10 wooden unfinished flowers
1" hole punch
Scissors
Craft knife
Hot glue gun
Epoxy gel
1-1/4" pink ribbon
Hand saw

Welcome back from the weekend. Can you believe that February is almost over? Before you know it spring will be here. The birds will be singing, and the flowers will begin to bloom. With a new season, come new things to craft. There are tons of great kids friendly spring crafts and one of the most popular surfaces to craft with is clay pots. Julie Lewis, one of Plaid’s designers, created this project. These pots were made using FolkArt Chalkboard paint. It is a beginner level craft and will only take an hour at most to finish. All the supplies can be found below along with their instructions.

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.

Trying out new craft techniques can be fun, but often times many shy away from trying something new because of the unknown. They worry what if it gets messed up, or what if it doesn’t come out looking nice? Throw your worries away and just take a chance. This lesson is a good one to remember when crafting with your little ones. They often times can be even braver than us adults, when it comes to trying new things. We found an example of this in this DIY dragonfly wall art project from, First Home Love Life. Christine created this project with help from Martha Stewart glass clings and paints, and her 5 year old. Christine had never used these products before, but jumped at the chance to create something. Her little one even got in on the fun and was able to paint some of the bugs herself. Lesson of the day, don’t be afraid to try something new. To see step by step how Christine made this project click here.

Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope this day of love is filled lots of love and sweet treats. Even though Valentine’s Day takes place on February 14^th, you can still use this holiday as a theme for your craft projects anytime of the year. Share love all year round, and incorporate it into your craft projects. Take this heart side table. Here is a perfect example of how you can incorporate the feeling and theme of Valentine’s Day into an everyday item. This side table was created using FolkArt paints and FolkArt stencils. It would look great in a little girl’s room, and feel free to change up the colors on this project. With this side table you can add a little love to any room.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Bright Baby Pink, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pumpkin, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Painting Stencils - Large - Filigree Heart

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Hot Pink, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Wood nightstand
Sandpaper
3/8" Stencil brush
Stencil adhesive
1” Foam applicator
Foam plate
Paper towels
Ruler
Pencil

Instructions

1.    Basecoat sides and front of nightstand Wicker White; paint top Hot Pink using 1” foam applicator; allow to dry.  Sand rough areas using sandpaper.  Reapply basecoat. If desired, trim edges in complementary colors.

2.    When top is dry, measure and mark lightly with pencil the center vertically and horizontally. 

3.    Dip brush into Wicker White; wipe on paper towel to remove excess.

4.    Position stencil on surface using horizontal and vertical marks as guidelines to create even spacing; hold stencil in place using stencil adhesive.

5.    Begin stenciling in a circular motion by placing bristles on an uncut area of the stencil.  Move brush gradually into an opening of the stencil.

6.    Reposition stencil; continue stenciling until all four repeats have been stenciled. 

7.    Clean up with mild soap and water.

The clock is ticking down, and Valentine’s Day is just 24 hours away. All over the web there are so many cute Valentine’s Day projects, and definitely not enough time to create all of them. So with a limited time left to craft, we wanted to suggest a last minute project for you make. Create this sweet nothings DIY photo frame. Mel from Mama Buzz made this photo frame using Apple Barrel paints, and Mod Podge Rub on Transfers. This is a great project to make with your tweens and teens. It is simple to make and perfect for beginners. To see how this was made and to make one for yourself click here.

Flowers are such magical things. Their colors when in full bloom are captivating, and can change the vibe of any room. Now, while flowers are nice to admire they can take a lot of work to care for. No worries we have an alternative for all of you that love flowers. You can create everlasting flowers with Mod Podge Podgeables and zipper trim. Cathie and Steve designed these flowers using podgeable shapes and Folkart acrylic paint. This project is perfect for all ages and won’t take long to make. You can make these flowers anytime of the year, but with Valentine’s Day drawing close, why not make some today? This project would make a wonderful gift to give or to keep in your home.  All the supplies needed can be found below, and click here to see the complete instructions. 

PLAID Supplies

·       Mod Podge ® Acrylic Shapes - Designer Shapes

·       Plaid ® Hot Glue Gun Helpers

·       FolkArt ® Shiny™ Acrylic Paint - Grass Green, 2 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Hard Coat, 8 oz

Other Supplies

Tin pitcher
Scrapbook paper
Scissors
Foam paintbrush
Dowel rod
Hand saw
Orange zipper trim (1.5 yards)
Yellow zipper trim (1.5 yards)
Hot glue
Teal zipper trim
Plastic bags

Welcome to another week. We hope you had a craftastic weekend. Are you all set for Valentine’s Day on Thursday? Well even if you are, we wanted to remind you that this day of love is for all ages, young and old alike. Kids enjoy this special day because they receive sweet treats. If you are in need of a kid friendly Valentine’s Day craft, and a place they can store their candies then we have the perfect option for you. This 'love bee' is the perfect bearer of candy or small gifts for Valentine's Day. Sherrie Ragsdale designed this adorable project using FolkArt acrylic paints. This is a fun and simple project to do that will only take about an hour to complete. All the supplies for this project can be found below, along with their instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Baby Pink, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

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

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Medium clay pot
Small clay pot
Small clay saucer
White Black and green chenille stems
Red craft foam
Pencil
#12 flat brush
¾” flat brush
Liner brush
4” lace ribbon
Hot glue

Instructions

1.    Base coat the two pots Baby Pink. Base coat the saucer and the inside of the larger pot with Licorice.  Allow to dry.  Add Calico Red Stripes to smaller pot.

2.    Add Wicker White eyes using the end of a pencil eraser.  Use a stencil brush with all of the excess Calico Red removed for the cheeks.   Paint the mouth with a liner brush in Licorice.  Add the black dots to the center of the white eyes with the end of the paint brush.

3.    Glue the pots together.  Glue the body of the bee to the black saucer.

4.    Tie a lace bow for the wings and glue to the back.

5.    Glue a black chenille stem to the back of the bee for the arms and roll up ends.

6.    Glue two black chenille stems the saucer for the legs.  Roll up the ends and bend at knee.
 

7.    Fold a green chenille stem in half and roll up the ends and twist after bend.  Cut out a heart from red craft foam.  Write “be mine” with extra fine marker.  Glue heart  to the green chenille stem. 

8.    Fold white chenille stem in half and roll up ends for the antennas.  Glue to the inside of front of pot.

Hooray! It’s Friday and the weekend is here. To start it off on crafty note we wanted to share with you a fun and easy project. If you want to add a little sparkle your life create this DIY Glitter Ring. Melissa from No. 2 Pencil created this stylish project using a few supplies and Mod Podge Dimensional Magic. A list of all the supplies Melissa used can be found below, and to see the instructions click here. Now you don’t have to buy a statement ring, you can make your own. Enjoy!

Supplies needed:

Ring blank with small lip- found at Michaels for around $3

Mod Podge Dimensional Magic 

Glitter in any color

Scrap foam or box to hold ring level while drying

By Candie from Candie Cooper’s Journal

Here's a project that's a conversation heart in its own special way.  It has been painted with chalkboard paints so that you can write and doodle your own sentiments.

You will need two wood hearts-1 sold and 1 filigree.  Paint each of the hearts with Plaid's chalkboard paint.  I chose old school green and black, but Plaids chalkboard paint comes in many colors.  Pick your two favs!  The solid heart will need the back painted as well.

Adhere the filigree heart to the solid heart with thick craft glue.  It helps to set a book on top of the layers to keep the pieces flat while the glue sets up.

Doodle on the heart with colored chalks.  Add small hearts, polka dots, scallops, stripes and more. 

Painting the back of the heart makes the chalkboard reversible!  How about cutting a heart from a small sponge to act as an eraser?

Now it's time to erase and repeat.  This would make a fun teacher valentine for sure!

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.

By Candie Cooper from Candie Cooper’s Journal

It's that time of year where I find myself reminiscing about decorating valentine boxes and picking out tiny cards and stickers for classmates. Anyone else? Here's a treat idea that you can make with your child--perfect for passing out at school.

Use a die cut machine (Sizzix shown here) or draw and cut out many hearts--2 hearts should be large and 2 small. Mod Podge the small heart on top of the big heart and then again so they just overlap at the points to connect them.

Fold the hearts in half so they look like flapping butterfly wings.

Kids can use the Cool Shot glue gun to attach a sparkly chenille stem to the center of the butterfly.  

Use the cool temp glue gun to perch a butterfly on top of a small heart box. These heart boxes were found at the dollar store in a package of 10. Fill the box with your favorite treat. Small stickers would be good inside too!

For variety, some of the boxes have tiny felt leaves as well. Children and adults alike would love to have one of these fly onto their desk! Simple and sweet.

Happy Monday! Welcome the start of a new week by creating this simple yet adorable Valentine’s Day projects. Sherrie Ragsdale created this project using FolkArt paints. This I Love You Flower Pot is a fantastic kids craft, and one teachers can have their students create in an art class. It will take about an hour to complete, but once finished you will have a wonderful flower pot filled with lots of love. Keep for yourself, our give as a gift to a special someone. All the supplies for this project can be found below, along with their instructions. Enjoy and have a wonderful week.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Bright Baby Pink, 2 oz.

·       Simply ® Stencils - Value Packs - Shapes

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

·       Stencil Decor ® Accessories - Dauber Set, multi

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Nutmeg, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Brown construction paper
Pink construction paper
Red construction paper
Skinny sticks
Brown ribbon
Brown chenille stems
3 red buttons
2 1/2" rose clay pot
3/4" Flat brush
Black marker
2" Styrofoam ball
White craft glue
Scalloped scissors
Scissors

Instructions

1.    Draw and cut out two red hards and one pink heart using construction paper.

2.    Using the Dauber, make dots as shown in photo, Lipstick Red dots on pink heart and Bright Baby Pink dots on red hearts. Add Wicker White dots with the end of a small paint brush to all hearts.

3.    Using the permanent marker, write "I," "love," "you" on the hearts.

4.    Glue hearts to brown construction paper. Cut out hearts with scalloped scissors, leaving a small brown border.

5.    Paint the skinny sticks and styrofoam ball Nutmeg. Allow to dry.

6.    Paint the pot Lipstick Red. Allow to dry. Add the Bright Baby Pink dots to pot using the 1/4" dauber.

7.    Glue the stick to the back of the hearts to make a stem. Tie a brown bow and glue to bottom of heart. Take the brown chenille stem and wrap it around the back and back to front . Twist to hold in place. Make spiral by wrapping it around you finger.

8.    Glue the red button to front of bow.

9.    Insert ball into the pot and insert heart flowers into the ball.

Oh happy day, its Friday! The weekend is here and before you get swept up in running errands, cleaning, or preparing for your Super Bowl party, we want to share with you a great weekend project your kids can make. Cassie from Hi Sugarplum created these DIY Animal Bookends. How cute are they? Cassie made this project using a mixture of duct tape and FolkArt paints. This is such a creative idea, and we’re absolutely in love with it. To see how you and your kids can create these bookends click here.