savoy062

I had a bunch of dried roses collecting dust on my mantel.  They were given to me years ago.  I used the petals from these dried flowers to make these rose beads. These were very simple to make and the beads are very fragrant and beautiful.  I love the natural texture and earthy color. The beads will shrink as they dry so be sure to make the beads larger than you want your finished beads, and make the whole larger as well. If your beads seem crumbly or crack easily as you are forming them, you may need to add a bit more water.  I just dip my finger tip into a bowl of water and use that small drop of water to smooth over any rough or cracking areas. Thanks so much for stopping by.  If you are making rose beads yourself, leave me a comment.  I would love to know what you plan to make from them.

Perhaps its an over idealistic notion but I hope to be able to make a handmade gift for my child(ren) each year for Christmas.  For my little one's first Christmas I made her a very simple fabric doll.  It is lopsided and simple but I loved making it for her and she has loved playing with it. This year I decided the gift I wanted to make was a set of wooden blocks.  Only problem is, I don't know the first thing about making wood toys.  I looked online and most instructions are geared towards hobbyist and wood workers with a workshop to rival Santa's elves.  I don't have many tools of my own, but luckily my dad does.  I used his tabletop mitre saw and carpenters square.  Making blocks usually requires you to rip cut, or cut the board lengthwise, to get small narrow pieces.  That is difficult to do and usually requires a table saw.  Instead I found long narrow hobby boards that didn't need to be rip cut.  They are made of nice hardwood. ...

Have you heard of Teal Pumpkin Project?   Its a great way to include all children, including those with food allergies or dietary restrictions, this Halloween.  I did not have food restrictions as a child, but I do now and it just plain stinks. Missing out on candy is bad enough, but to miss out on the run all together?  Its a double whammy! I hope the Teal Pumpkin Project takes off and becomes a new normal.  It's not any more bother or expensive than buying candy.  There are all sorts of inexpensive holiday treats and trinkets.  You can find little toys, bubbles, pencils, stickers, glow sticks and the like at dollar stores, party stores, craft stores, Target, or mail order catalogs.  There are some really fun things to buy, but I like to make instead of buy whenever possible.  I also have a closet of craft supplies to use. I looked all over Pinterest, Google, and Youtube looking for fun little crafts I could make for my Halloween goody.  I m...