Tag Archives: craft

DIY Polymer Clay Bowl and a For the Makers Review

For Christmas my sister gave me a subscription to the craft subscription service, For the Makers. I’m so jealous of my sister’s ability to give just the right gift. Last week, I got my first box of craft projects in the mail. Each box contains four small crafts.

Here’s the pros and cons of the service.
Pro:

All crafts are simple and small. Great for people that don’t have much space (like moi!).
No craft is overly time-consuming. Most will take under an hour.
Crafts come four to a box, so there is plenty of crafting to be done.
Crafts could be made as directed or used in different ways.
A box arrives at your doorstep each month, so there is no excuse not to make things!

Con:

The materials were of fairly high quality, but my large bead for a statement necklace arrived with a crack in it. Bummer.
The service is a bit pricey ($29) per box.
You have to visit their website for the DIY directions.
Although they make an effort to include things like a needle, not all materials are included in the box. You still may need things like rolling pin or a sewing machine to make projects look more professional.

The first project I tried out of the box was a polymer clay bowl. I used the directions found here. It turned out fairly cute and I think I’ll put it on my desk at work for paperclips and little miscellaneous objects.

Overall, I love this service as a gift. It’s novel, it’s easy and it arrives right at my doorstep. Have you ever tried a craft subscription service? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

Clay Beads Necklace

Monday was my mom’s birthday. Happy birthday again, Mama! Since she was coming into town to visit us, I wanted to give her something extra special. My mom loves jewelry, so I decided to make a necklace for her birthday gift.

This was by far the most intense and time-consuming craft I’ve done so far. I usually stick with projects that take 5 minutes so I don’t get frustrated and give up. But since this was for my mom, I wanted to try something a little more difficult.

Supplies needed:

Rolling Pin
Polymer clay
Parchment paper
Chain
Clasp
Split-rings
Pliers
Paintbrush or a tool to make a small hole in the clay. (I thought the small screwdriver (pictured) would work. It did not.)
Small cookie cutters or a tool to make a shape. (I used an empty beer bottle.)
Exacto knife
Optional: clear spray paint

Step 1: Roll out your clay. Try to make it approximately 1/8 of an inch thick.

Step 2: Punch out the shape of your beads. This is easiest to achieve with small cookie cutters or a tool, like the top of a beer bottle, but you could cut your shape out with an Exacto knife if you are good at free-handing shapes.

Step 3: Touch up the edges of your newly-made beads by cutting away stray bits of clay with an Exacto knife.

Step 4: Carefully punch out small holes in your beads using a tool, such as a thin paintbrush end. I cracked several of my beads during this process. Be patient and make more beads than you think you will need for a necklace.

Step 5: Bake your beads on a piece of parchment paper according to the clay manufacturer’s directions.

Step 6: (Optional) After beads are done baking and cool, spray with clear spray paint. This will give your beads a glossy look.

Step 7: Pry open the split-rings and slip through the holes in the beads.

Step 8: Determine where on the chain you want the beads to be placed. I skipped this step at first and started placing the beads on randomly. The necklace didn’t look very pretty with random beads everywhere. I would have saved myself a lot of time if I had put the chain on and determined exactly where on the chain I wanted the beads to be placed. I would have also saved more time if I had made sure I was placing each bead on face-down, so when the necklace was worn, the beads would lay flat and face-up.

Step 9: Slip the split-ring through the links in the chain and using the pliers, carefully close the split-rings.

Step 10: Using the pliers, attach the clasp onto the end of the necklace.

And voila! You have a beautiful, stylish, one-of-a-kind necklace to keep or give as a gift!

love,
melanie

Home Tour: Bedroom

It feels like it has been raining for the last month. I have the hardest time getting out of bed when it is raining. Rain pitter pattering on my tin roof is one of the best sounds in the world. Since I’ve spent so much time there lately (and I’ve cleaned a ton!), I thought I’d share my boudoir with you! I don’t think it will ever get any cleaner, so I had to document the occasion.

George made the moon backdrop for our wedding. He free-handed it. That man is amazing.
My dad made this nightstand in woodshop when he was 16. He gave it to my grandma, and after she passed, he gave it to me. It is one of my most precious things.
I love our little bedroom and our home, but I do hope spring will show up soon! I need to get out of this house!