While I'm pretty much a "newbie" at crafts, I do a bit of rubberstamping, and look forward to learning other fields of crafting, some of which you'll find information about . . . here!

BEADED CANDLE GLOWS

Take a clean baby food jar (without lid) and decorate with translucent beads in the design you want. Using a hot glue gun attach the first bead, then a bit further down 'spot' gluing as you go attach beads one at a time. Put a tea candle inside and watch it glow!

For added fun...
Use seasonal colors for holiday decorating. Use shaped beads for accents. Color empty spaces with glass paints.

-- Posted to "Crafting" 9/27/98

FOOT PRINT SHIRT

Take a light colored shirt, pre-washed and ironed. To make a baby's foot print make a fist- place in fabric paint and print on a test piece of paper. Using your finger add 5 toes. Once you're confident "walk" over the shirt. After it dries write " My granchildren walk all over me". This would be cute in red and green for Christmas or in pastels.

POTPOURRI PIES

Potpourri
Aluminum pie plate(any size)
Crochet doily to cover the pie plate
low temp glue gun
Ribbon, beads, artificial or dried flowers

Fill the pie plate with the potpourri. Cover with doily and glue doily down with glue gun. Decorate the top with ribbons, beads and flowers. Tip: When the potpourri loses it's smell, buy the oil that is the same scent. Add a drop or two the potpourri pie.

-- Posted to "crafting" 7/20/98

ROSE BEADS

First thing to do is collect the rose petals in the morning just after the dew has dried. You can gather the petals that have dropped to the ground just cut off any brown spots that may be on them.

Second, take the rose petals and mash them with a mortar and pestle. Feel free to mix colours as they will turn to a dark shade of ebony. Take out the mashed petals and put in a glass jar. Continue mashing the rest of the petals a dish full at a time. Put them all in a glass jar and cover loosely. Keep doing this every day until you've about a cup of rose petal paste. If you are as impatient as I am to making beads, go ahead and start with what little paste you have.

Third, once you've got the paste to the consistency of playdough take a small amount and roll it in your hands to make a ball. The ball or bead will shrink to about one-third its original size once it is fully dried.

Next, stick a straight pin or rust free paperclip through its center and drape the pin across something so that the bead is not touching anything. I use ice cube trays for this, but cardboard boxes may also be used.

Forth, put them in an out of the way dry place with no draft. Rotate the beads every day for the first week. They should be dry by the end of the second week depending on humidity.

Once they have dried, remove them from the pins and polish them with a soft lintfree cloth, until they have a lustrous shine. Lastly, use a heavy beading thread or dental floss.

-- From "Eliza" at rec.crafts.misc

WOODEN SPOON DOLLS

Wooden Spoons
Wooden Balls (sz of small pea)
dried grass or anything to use for hair
Sharpie marker or paint
scrap fabric, 15" sq lace, eyelet, pearls, trims

I sprayed my wooden spoon with hair spray before I painted face on it. Test first as some markers bleed. Glue on wooden ball for nose. Paint face. (On girls, we used q-tip to add blush.) Glue on hair. Cut 12" (or more circle from fabric and cut with pinking shears (so you don't have to sew.) Make tiny "x" in center (about 1/8") and push spoon handle through. This becomes the dress. Add lace, eyelet, ruffle, pearls, beads, etc. to cover at neck.

Add lace, eyelet, ruffle to bottom (eyelet is pretty showing underneath...as a petticoat. Cut fabric 2" x 12" and glue or sew in tube shape. Thread chenille stem through. Attach to neck with one twist under trim. Glue in place. Trim wrists and add lace, eyelet, etc. Put doll in 16 oz (or larger) soda bottle filled with sand, rocks, etc. Tape around top to prevent spilling.

-- Posted to P31 by "Donna", 3/18/99

SCRAPBOOKING

This is a hobby that I'm really looking forward to! I'm not great with sewing, crocheting, or other crafts that involve fine motor skills, but I am creative and work well with designing fun layouts. So, this should suit me perfectly!

Here are some basic supplies a friend suggested I start with:

A quality album
Acid-free page protectors
Acid-free adhesive (photo splits, tape runner, gun pen -- you choose)
A journaling pen

Alorna's Keep (Cross Stitch)