Decorating with Pinecones

Fall brings us cooler temAperatures and nature provides many things we can harvest. One thing that is plentiful and has so many uses is pine-cones. They come in various shapes and sizes. Skinny, fat, tall, short! Here are just a few ways you can use pine-cones in fall craft activities and decorations.

Miniature Christmas Trees

These are best made with rounder, smaller pine-cones. You will need the following:

Supplies

• small pine-cone
• green paint
• glue (we used a glue gun) 
• small beads
• base (a small pot or condiment container filled will plaster of paris) 

Paint the small pine cone green, let dry. 

Glue the painted pine-cone to selected base. 

Glue on small beads for ornaments. 

Let dry. 

Elves

Depending on whether you want a short or tall elf will depend on the type of pine-cone you will want to use. 

Supplies

• pine-cones
• small wooden ball (for head) 
• glue
• felt or foam pieces
• googly eyes

Create a face with eyes, ears, nose, and mouth on small wooden ball. Glue on top of pine-cone. 

Cut out scarf, mittens feet,and hat (one hat was made by hand the other we found in a store!) Glue on felt pieces. 

If you would like to be able to hang it as an ornament, you can tie on a ribbon or fish line before you start gluing on the pieces. 

Owls

During the cold winter months, birds can seem more active as they are searching out sources of food. What would look cuter than an owl inviting guests in. 

Supplies

• Pine-cone
• cotton balls
• felt
• googly eyes
• glue (optional)

Pull cotton balls apart and stuff into spaces of the pine cones (you can put a small spot of glue on them to ensure they stay.) If you want a fluffy white owl, use lots of cotton balls. If you would like more of the pine-cone to show through use less. 

I did this will 5-7 year olds and we used googly eyes, yarn for wings, or cut out pieces of paper for the beak, wings, and ears. 

A little color

Not into the arts and crafts type of decorating, how about just adding a little color to a centerpiece or a bowl of seasonal decor. 

Supplies

• pine-cones
• fingernail polish

This one is easy and great for using up old fingernail polish (and even occupying the minds and hands of little ones.) 

You can just paint the tips (many pine-cones have a natural coloring on the tip or a bulge that is on the tip.) Depending on the time of year, you an use various colors to spice of a pot of potpourri or a center piece of natural 

Here are just a few ideas of things you can do with pine-cones, I am sure you have a million more! If nothing else, it is a great way to spend time crafting with family and creating a little something for others. 

Preparing for Fall

Labor Day has arrived which means summer is slowing coming to and end (or for some it has officially ended.) The weather is cool one day and hot the next, reminding us fall is on the way, with football games (or rugby in my case) along with thoughts of bonfires and carving pumpkins.

Many become inspired by the change in temperatures and the hopes of slower times and building memories to decorate for fall (because it is still too early for Halloween, unless you are in retail.) It is the time of year to pick apples, creating taste treats. It might be applesauce, apple donuts, apple pie, or apple chutney. For a taste of fall you can check out Aunt Christy's Country Kitchen at http://www.auntchristyscountrykitchen.com/products.html and order her Cranberry Apple Chutney!

Cranberry Apple Chutney (SEASONAL – Oct. – Jan.) Blended with sweet apples, tart cranberries and warm autumn spices, this delightful chutney will certainly create a party in your mouth!

If we aren't eating taste apple treats during the fall we might be using the apples for fun and games. Bobbing for apples, making dried shrunken apple heads in preparation for Halloween fun.

HOW TO MAKE SHRUNKEN APPLE HEADS

Supplies: Bowl, peeler, small carving knife, 
Ingredients: apples, whole cloves, a few grains of rice, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt 

Directions: Mix lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Peel a apple and coat with mixture to prevent browning. Carve out eye sockets, a nose, mouth and ears in the apple. You can use whole cloves for eyes and raw rice grains for teeth or come up with your own accessories (like cotton for hair, black hats, or glasses.) Let apples dry on a wire rack in a warm place for at least two weeks or help speed up the process by setting in an oven on the lowest temperature for a few hours (but the process will still take several days).

You get done creating your shrunken heads (in preparation for Halloween) and your mind starts drifting to some of the other favorites that only seem to occur this time of year, like Candy Corn! You may not like candy corn but if you have a little girl, you can help her celebrate fall with a candy corn inspired outfit from Handmade By LoloZ at https://www.etsy.com/listing/110385522/girls-candy-corn-pillowcase-dress?ref=shop_home_active_6. 

What inspires you when weather starts too cool and thoughts of fall approach? Crafts, snacks, treats, or accessories. So many inspiration but so little time!

Summertime Memories

Summertime brings holidays, lazy days, and many times crazy days. It is a time for making memories or trying to slow down the clock in order to enjoy life and the little things we sometimes overlook.

When I think of summer it brings me back to my childhood with lighting bugs, tag with the neighborhood kids, and the sounds of crickets as the streetlight start to turn on, signaling it was time to do inside.

Handmade in KC artists can help provide pieces of memories for the next generations childhood!

I remember making toys out of some of the simplest things laying around the house, whether it be a shoe box that we turned into a bed for our barbie doll or scrapes of wood for furniture. Simple things help your imagination soar. I love these wooden toys made Creations by M and J . They take me back to a time where toys were the starting point to a story (and the story had not been created yet but a movie or film.)

When you are creating your stories, you always need a central character (or two) in order to help bring the story alive. I remember the blue whale I had as a child that would go on adventures with me. The Little Wing can help you provide that special friend who is a key player in a child's adventures for years to come!

As we know, the start of any story comes from a simple inspiration or idea. It could be a song that we make up about bugs or fairies. The idea could come from a dream we had about traveling to distance places (like grandma's house) or a dream where the grass is made of cotton candy and the flowers are made of chocolate. A simple picture can inspire a child to dream and create an adventure that lasts a lifetime through memories. Violet's Buds can help inspire the adventure though images of travel or play!

What memories do you have from days of summer, long since past? Is it having a tea party with your blue whale and little sister? Building kingdoms out of scrapes of wood and conquering the world? What memories will the next generation come up with and what will inspire their imaginations?

Celebrating May!

April in Kansas City has been full of showers. Like the saying, "April showers bring May flowers." May starts off with May Day with baskets full of lowers but also brings many additional occasions for us to celebrate heritage, family, and ones we have lost. See how Handmade in KC artists can help us in the month of May with touches of themselves and their handmade pieces.

May Day encourages us to create May Day baskets for our neighbors or participate in a May Day celebration. (May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival. It is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures in Europe.) 

Fill a heart shaped basket to hang on the door of a neighbor or the one you love from Demeter's Charisma!

Cinco De Mayo
Whether you celebrate Cinco De Mayo because you need a reason to drink margaritas or Corona's or your heritage takes you back to Mexico and you understand the meaning behind the celebration! (Cinco de Mayo, Spanish for "Five of May", the holiday is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.)

Attend a Mexican fiesta or have a celebrate with friends while wearing this upcycled keychain from FabTabulous!

"This is a totally unique, upcycled keychain made from pull tabs of post consumer aluminum cans, a 1 1/8 inch key ring, and black leather cord. It features a post consumer black and mustard gold Corona Light beer bottle cap which has been woven right into the design." ~FabTabulous

Mother's Day reminds us to say thank you to those who have helped raise us or have helped us when our mother is no longer there to do it herself. (Mother's Day is a day to honor the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.)

 Taking time to show our appreciation and love can be as simple as giving her a Spa in a Jar from Seasons of Love!

"This spa sets contains all the basic spa materials and a few other deluxe items. So take some time and enjoy a long bath with your bath bomb, exfoliate dry dead skin with a moisturizing sugar scrub, or lather on some whipped body butter to leave your skin soft and smooth. Spa sets are a great way for you to sample a variety of items as well. " ~ Seasons of Love

Memorial Day

Spring is also the time for baby showers and dressing little ones in outfits allowing them to show off their patriotic spirit as they help pay tribute to those who have fought for their freedom! (Memorial Day in the United States is a federal holiday established to remember the people who died while serving in our country's armed forces.)

Dress up your little one or share with a friend with this patriotic ensemble from Handmade by LoloZ

"Adorable set in coordinating red, white and blue stars and stripes prints. Open back top has ruffle trim and snap closure. Bloomers have three rows of ruffles and elastic legs and waist. Sandals have elastic. Available in 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 and 12-18 months - specify size when ordering."~Handmade by LoloZ

Whether May means celebrating spring, Mother's Day, Mexico's victory, or recognizing those who have fought for freedom, it is a month full of hope and thanks! Handmade in KC has numerous artists who can help you find a unique way to show your support or love!

Multiple Uses for T-shirts

Multiple Uses for T-shirts

I look into my closet and realize I have a large number of t-shirts. Ones from races, ones from work, ones from rugby, and a long list of others. T-shirts have become inexpensive and I seem to always be collecting new ones. I know I can’t wear all of them so I periodically go through my closet to thin out the ones I don’t wear. I could just donate them to a charity, but some of them I don’t wear, yet they have meaning to me or they have holes and probably won’t be worn by anyone. Overtime I have started to re-purpose t-shirts in various ways.

Quilts

I have a quilt that my godmother made when I was in high school. Twenty-five years later I still have that quilt. I have a lot of t-shirts that I don’t wear, but they hold memories. Whether it be the years I spent mentoring youth in 4-H, all the races I have been a part of, or the years of playing rugby, they all are part of a story. What better way to remember the story then creating a quilt to be used for years to come! A throw quilt to keep you warm on the couch on a cold winter night or to take along on a rugby trip, keeping the light out in the car in order to catch a couple of zzzz’s!

 

T-shirt Lap Quilt

Rugs

We have a lot of hardwood floors so it is nice to have a couple of throw rugs by the doors to help trap all of the dirt and debris that can be dragged into the house. After having to replace a couple of rugs I needed to find rugs I could easily throw in the washing machine if needed. I used the scrapes left after making my t-shirt quilt to make crotchet a rag rug. I cut the scrapes into long stripes, similar to a thick yarn, and was able to use this t-shirt yarn to crotchet a rug. I had tried to use the traditional toothbrush technique, but decided to crotchet it instead, since I am for efficient at crocheting. 

T-shirt Rag Rug

I also had a large number of smaller scrapes of t-shirt fabric that I hadn’t found a purpose for yet. I had been in the process of making a latch hook rug from scrapes of yarn left over from crocheting and knitting projects. I had seen pictures of latch hook rugs from ribbons and t-shirts and decided to try it out! It will be a little harder to wash, but since it is made of durable t-shirt fabric (that I seem to have a never ending supply of) it should be easier to clean compared to a traditional rag rug.

T-shirt Latch Hook Rug in Progress

Pillows

One of the many t-shirts I had obtained over the year was an M&M from one of my sister’s themed baby shower. She has collected M&M items for years. After the shower I held on to the t-shirt for a while but never wore it. When her son came and the nursery was M&M themed, I had a wonderful idea of turning the t-shirt into a large pillow, perfect for a little boy’s bedroom! Thankfully I had some stuffing left over from a previous project, so a little bit of sewing, and a lot of stuffing, resulted in a pillow, perfect for an M&M themed room!

M&M Pillow

Cat Bed

I do workshops with youth periodically. One of the workshops I had done was showing how to weave a rag rug using a hula hoop. The youth had a fun time cutting up old t-shirts and weaving them into a rug. After we took the rugs off of the hoops, one of the rugs ended up being more of a basket. When they took the rug/basket home, their cat quickly adopted it for their new bed! Perfect, especially since they could easily wash the cat be if they needed to!

Rug turned Cat Bed

New Shirt

My sister gave me a volunteer t-shirt for the local county fair. I volunteer to help her when I can and she asks that I wear one of the fair shirts. Normally I would be on board, but sometimes it can be very hot and humid, so a t-shirt is not the first thing I want to wear. So instead of just wearing a regular t-shirt, I made a few adjustments and made it into more of a tank top! She loved what I did and asked me to alter some of her shirts so she could wear them during the fair also, especially when it is really hot in the middle of July!

Tank Top

These are just a few of the many ways you can re-purpose t-shirts. What are some of your favorites?