ugly bracelets

DIY UGLY BRACELETS

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/30buzs/www.vanessachristenson.com/2011/03/v-and-co-how-to-jersey-knit-bracelet.html

So, I called these bracelets ugly because I simply think they're kind of ugly, but I kind of like them anyway. It says to use jersey knit material (which I didn't have and couldn't find). I used silk Asian printed fabric instead. If you don't know how to finger crochet, you might want to google it. Otherwise, the website is pretty good!

Happy Crafting!

-Jenna

Page Eater Creatures

(try to disregard the fact that the book mark is biting the lady's head)

PAGE EATER CREATURES! (DIY BOOKMARKS)

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5OOAoc/nheilke.com/blog%3Fp%3D2628

Super cute super easy! The website is extremely precise. I might have fudged my measurements a little... But it still turned out nicely! The first bookmark I made took a little long (maybe an hour) because I had to make the cutting templates and experiment the measurements and sizes, but the second one was very quick and easy. I found all of the materials around my house. Another free craft (always a plus)! Try to match your paper and not throw random colors together... But other than that, I have no heads-up advice to give. 

Happy Crafting!

-Jenna

Simple Braided Headbands

Super simple super easy braided headbands!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9oqk0S/croqzine.com/%3Fp%3D1577

Really great website, really simple, cute craft. The website instructions says to make a two braid headband, but I found minimal materials and they didn't match each other too well. I used old t-shirts for the thicker headband and thin fabric for the skinny one. I had elastic and clothes pins around the house. This craft was simple and free to make! I had to borrow the sewing machine though.

I liked both the t-shirt and fabric headbands. It's up to you to choose accordingly. The craft is basically foolproof, and turns out great! I want to keep both of them!

Happy Crafting!

-Jenna

Snow Globe Cards!

AROHA FROM HAWAII SNOW GLOBE CARD *DIY

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/A0ZVvh/blog.giddygiddy.com/giddygiddy/2010/01/diy-snow-globe-postcards.html

Snow globe collector friend? Well here's the perfect card for them! It's an easy to make snow globe card! 

This craft was pretty easy to make but a bit time consuming and pretty messy! I might have taken two hours or so (with distractions). The website is a little confusing but it's not too hard to figure out the card on your own. The card did take a lot of cutting and measuring. I used a ziplock bag for the clear plastic. It works, but things tend to cling to Ziplocks, making it hard for the "snow" to shake around. In the example pictures shown on the website they used a clear paper protector. That seemed to work for them. Likewise, my snow clung to the ziplock. Also, I'd advise using a picture background instead of gluing things on (unless you're using really good sticking glue!) My snow doesn't shake around that much.

This craft was really fun to make and it's personal. It comes out really nicely too. It did take patience though.

Happy Crafting!

-Jenna

DIY BRAIDED HEADBAND!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1Y8Jmz/www.skiptomylou.org/2010/08/19/headband-refashion/

This headband was probably one step up from the very simple rings I made in my earlier post. The website I gave you up there ^^ was terrible. Or maybe I am just bad at following directions. I was lucky that my Mom knew how to make braided leis. Here's a much easier website to follow. Just make sure to make it the length of a headband. 

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/10858/ribbon-braid

I scored some thin ribbon from my grandma and bought a two pack of headbands from Forever 21 for maybe $2.50 (it had a bow on it but I just ripped it off).
Once you get the hang of the braiding, the process gets really easy and you'll be done in no time! To end it I hot glue gunned the two ends together into a triangle tip, to replica the start of the braid then hot glue gunned the braid to the headband!
This craft was a little harder but once you understand the directions it gets much easier. The braid itself is pretty simple. The headband is cute and pretty sturdy. Remember, the braid is stretchy so don't make your braid too long!
Happy Crafting!
-Jenna

First craft! -springy rings

DIY SPRINGY RINGS (:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1aqRLL/mrspriss.com/2010/04/12/tutorial-springy-rings/

  I chose to make these cute rings as my first craft. It was quick, easy, and very simple! I bought the cheapest silk and satin. I got 1/8th of each of the satins with the matching silks. It was about 50 cents each fabric. I found the beads around my house. The website above ^^ said to sew the beads on but since I'm terrible at hand sewing I glued them on using a hot glue gun. I used a candle to burn the edges. The satin caught fire more often then the silk, but was much easier to curve and shape. The silk shrunk first but then started to bend a little. I had a hard time consistently burning the edges perfectly, but it turned out okay anyway with the messy edges.

The website was very easy to follow, but the project itself was pretty self explanatory anyway. It was really fun to burn the edges and I'm assuming that since I could make it (I normally hate crafts and mess them up all the time) anyone can!
Happy crafting!
-Jenna