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Irish Shamrock Plate

St. Patrick's Day Irish Kiss Me Plate

Green Beaded Shamrock Necklace

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I posted earlier this year about how I created these bead and ribbon bookmarks. Valentine's Day was coming up at that time, so I made them all in red.

Now with Easter and Spring here, I created some in pastel colors too. These would also make good teacher gifts along with a book store gift card or a book. You can really make them for any occasion, since you can use any color of ribbon and beads.

Click for for my original post on this project. It has some tips that will help if you decide to make your own bookmarks.

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Are you looking for an easy Valentine's Day craft or last-minute gift? I have just the answer -- ribbon and bead bookmarks. These would also make good gifts for teachers or just about anyone.

What I love about these is that you can make them in any color for any occasion or cause. For example, make them pink with pink beads for breast cancer awareness, use the colors of autism awareness (I usually see blue, red, yellow, and turquoise), or make them green and red for Christmas. You can even find beads like pink ribbons, Christmas trees, or other objects that will go with your theme.

These are very easy and inexpensive to make. Just buy some organza ribbon from any craft store. Mine was 3/8" wide and cost just $1.99.

The fun part is choosing your beads. I found shades of red for Valentine's Day. One important thing to remember is that your ribbon needs to fit through the hole in the center of the bead, so check that out before buying.

A couple of other tips to make this project easier:

• If you singe the ends of your cut ribbon with a match or lighter, they won't fray.
• Tie knots at either end of the ribbon bookmark where you want your beads to stay. If you don't, the beads may make their way toward the center of the ribbon.
• Make sure you allow enough ribbon to knot at each end of the group of beads. I measured using one of my larger books as a guide, and then added almost one half that length again. That was more than enough length.
• Use a large needle to thread the ribbon through your beads if you're having trouble. Again, your beads need to have large enough holes to allow the ribbon to fit through.

 These bookmarks would be nice to give with the gift of a book!

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My family loves the beach, and we always come home with lots of shells.

I recently had an article published on Parade magazine's website about a simple craft idea using sea shells and other treasures you might have brought home from the beach. This is a great project to do with your kids too. You can check it out here.
Another very simple idea for shells is this little ring or earring dish/holder I recently made from a medium-size shell.

This is a very easy project. Just make sure the shell is clean, lay it out on newspaper and spray paint it on both sides with metallic paint. (It may take several coats.) I used a shiny silver. Gold would also look wonderful, but you could really use any color.

If you have a pretty shell you don't want to cover up with paint, you could also just use a sealer to coat both sides, and let the color show through.

You might want to attach some felt pieces on the bottom of the shell if it sits on a bathroom counter or somewhere it may get wet. I don't think the paint will wear off, but you may not want it to sit in water over time.

And if these aren't enough, I've got another DIY sea shell idea coming soon!



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This past summer we made these DIY beach ornaments at my aunt's house as a memento of our time there. We used things collected from the local beaches, but if you're not near a beach, you can pick up most of these items at your local craft store.

These ornaments are a great way to remember your favorite vacations, so the next time you're at the beach, pick up some of the smaller shells and other things you might not have noticed to use for this project.

 

DIY Beachy Christmas Ornaments 

Materials Needed:

whatever you collect from the beach, including:
beach sand
small or broken shells
seaweed
small pieces of sea glass
small stones
very small starfish
small feathers

clear glass or plastic ornaments
ribbon or raffia
hot glue gun
funnel

How to Make: 

Remove the top from the ornaments. Using a funnel, pour your sand into the top of the ornament. Then add some of your shells, stones, sea glass, and other treasures.

If you need to adjust something inside the ornament, use a chopstick or paperclip you've "unbent." Put the ornament top back on when you're satisfied with your creation.

You can use ribbon or raffia to hang your ornaments. We used raffia for a nautical look and hot-glued more shells, sea glass, and starfish onto either side as you can see in the photo.

You can also use a fine-tipped permanent marker to write the year of your beach trip on your ornament.

Of course, these ornaments also make thoughtful little gifts!

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Here's a quick and easy Christmas gift you can make when you need just a "little something." It's great to go along with a gift card or even by itself when you're looking for something thoughtful, but can't spend too much.

This "Christmas scent" is perfect for anyone, and I have given it to teachers with gift cards and with handwritten cards from my children.

You might have made this at home, but putting the ingredients together is a nice touch for the recipient.

You'll need:

• One orange
• One lemon
• Cinnamon sticks
• Bay leaves
• Whole Cloves
• Cellophane-type wrap or small clear bags
• Curling ribbon

For each gift, use one orange, one lemon, three or four cinnamon sticks, several bay leaves, and several cloves. Wrap them up in your cellophane and tie them with a few pieces of ribbon--then curl. (By the way, dollar stores are a great place to pick up the ribbon and cellophane wrap.)

When you slice the orange and lemon and simmer all the ingredients in water, your whole house will smell amazing!

If you're making this at home for yourself, you can also just use orange and lemon peels (and eat the fruit). I promise you'll love the way your house smells.

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My windows had plain white pull-down shades that were getting tattered. I bought some frosted glass spray paint for under $5 and painted the outside of the windows.

I cleaned the windows first and thoroughly dried them. I didn't tape anything off or cover anything since the window frames on the outside are white, and any overspray didn't show. I used the entire can of paint, because at the point I felt I had pretty good coverage, there was just a little paint left.

In case you're wondering, I did this a couple of years ago, and it has held up extremely well. There is no porch or any kind of covering over this door, and this area's exposed to all kinds of weather. I haven't touched it up at all, but it would be easy to do if needed.

 When I first painted the sidelights, I checked that night to see if you would be able to see through the windows when the lights are on inside. You can't really make out anything except the fact that there is a light on. I probably would not use this alone on a bathroom window with no other window covering, however.

A few tips if you decide to paint your windows: I recommend standing back from your work often to see if there are places where more coverage is needed. Also, if you haven't spray-painted before, read the instructions on the can. You need to keep the can a proper distance from what you're painting and keep it moving to avoid drips and running paint.

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