Boo Boo Bunny

ok Parents, Grandparents, babysitters, and nannys, these things are great.  You can keep them in the freezer or display them and slip an ice cube in, they are super cute and comforting to little ones when they get hurt, your turn to try your hand!

I made the green one and my friend made the yellow one, as you can see they are different, but both super cute, and we made them from supplies we already had laying around the house.

Supplies:

1. Washcloth (any color)
2. Rubber band
3. Ribbon
4. Pom poms/and or googley eyes.
5. Rubber band(s)

These things are super easy and super cute! First, fold two corners of the washcloth together, then roll from the two corners in toward the long edge.  Once you have it rolled, fold the roll in half and then in half again.  Once you fold it in half the second time place the rubber band around it to hold it in place.

Now all you have to do is decorate.  I like to put a ribbon covering the rubber band and creating a bow on the top, add some eyes and a nose, and don't forget a pom Pom tail!

The body of the bunny has a hole behind the ears, this is where you can insert an ice cube to take the hurt away! 

These are great for around the house, at work, or as baby shower gifts. Hop to it!

Decorative Spiral Notebooks

For these cute notebooks it just takes a little time and effort, no measuring!

Supplies:

1. Spiral Notebook
2. Washi Tape
3. Packing Tape (optional, but strongly suggested)

Washi tape can be pretty expensive, I got a tube of 10 rolls at Michael's, it was $10 but I had a 50% off coupon, so it wasn't so bad.

To start I simply picked colors that I thought would look good with the spiral color. (The spiral color may show through some on some colors, be sure to keep that in mind when selecting the colors you want.)

I started at the top left corner of the spiral and layer a diagonal line of tape straight down to the long open edge, wrap the end of the tape over the inner edge some, just to make sure it will stay well.

After the first piece was in place, I simply followed it by the next, lining up the edge.  Personally I like it to look neat, so I did a pattern, and had room to do each of the 6 different patterned tapes twice.

Once I stuck the washi tape, I was a little unsure about it staying, but I didn't want to put something on top of it, so I opened up the cover.  On the inside of the cover I put a piece of packing tape on the long open edge and the top edge to cover the ends of the washi tape.  This helps secure it, and has made them last and last.

This is an easy craft for anyone, they are great for teens, for birthday presents, graduations, or any other occasion.

String Art

I saw this on Etsy for $38...and I knew I could make it for less, so after looking at the picture a couple times, I figured out a way to make it for myself...for WAY less.  It did take some time, so I totally understand that $38 is reasonable, just not for me when I could make it! If you are not up for the project, Easy has many options!

Supplies:

1. Wood (mine was 7x10x3/4")
2. Nails (small, I don't know the exact size, I think about 3/4")
3. String (multiple colors, or white and dye to color some of it.)
4. Paper/Printer
5. Hammer
6. Scissors
7. Glue

First, I asked a friend to pick up some wood for me, because I knew he was headed to Home Depot that day for wood, so he added a little extra to what he needed and I got the wood for only $1. He was nice enough to sand it for me too!  I painted it a couple coats of purple, adding a bit of water to spread the paint a bit with each coat.


After that, I knew I wanted white string and yellow, so instead of spending $6 each on white and yellow, I decided to get white for $6 and some $3 yellow dye. I wrapped some string around a bottle and mixed the dye and let it soak and such as per the box instructions.


Once the string was dyed, I created a pattern for the string art. In publisher I pasted a map of VA and traced it with the line drawing tool and made it a dotted line. I did the same with the letters. After that I printed it (I made 3 copies and used all of them) and then marked which dots I was going to put nails in (about every other or third, depending on the necessity of the part of the outline). I basically made it all up as I went! 


I then tied a knot on a random nail and cut the tail really short. After that I used the string to outline all of the shape, wrapping around each nail before moving to the next.  Then I went all around and connected the nails, making sure not to go outside of the lines, connecting various nails and I just kept going until I liked it.  Then I double wrapped the boarder again to make sure it was clear. To finish it, I put a bit of glue on my finger and rubbed the end and stuck it to other string to secure it without a knot.


I set the pattern on the wood and nailed in the nails to the dots I had chosen.  I then tore the paper away leaving only the remaining nails.  I referred to another copy of my pattern to make sure I got it right when outlining with string.  The second time I made one, I chose to nail in the first nail to hold the pattern still.  After securing the pattern, I made a slight mark at each dot I wanted to put a nail, removed the paper, and then put the nails in securely so there were not paper remnants around the nails.


I think the total cost came out to be about $7, but I already had nails laying around the house, and I got a great deal on the wood.
Get creative! Let me know if you have any questions!


Since making the Virginia/JMU art, I have also made a dandelion.  A friend wanted to make one so when I sat down with her I worked on a dandelion for myself.  It was a little more difficuilt than the first because when wrapping the string between nails I had to create a pattern and stay a bit more focused while working.


The second one I made I went to home depot to get wood, they cut it for me, and marked it as scrap...so I got it for free!


This is a great gift and super inexpensive, if you are willing to put in a bit of time! Get creative and let me know if you have any questions! :-)