July 2008 Archives
Use the Back Pocket from Jeans for a Pencil Pouch
Family Fun posted this unique idea on re-using the back pockets from old jeans. Take those back pockets, make them magnetic, decorate the front and you've got yourself a great inside the door locker pen/pencil holder! Tags: crafts, crafting, glue+gun+crafts, jeans, crafts+for+kids, kids+crafts, summer+crafts, back+to+school, recycled+crafts… 
Polymer Clay Rubber Stamped Coaster
CraftyGoat has created a clear and well photographed tutorial on a more advanced craft, creating a coaster from polymer clay, decorated with a rubber stamp. You'll need materials that you may just not having laying about the house like a pasta machine (or polymer clay specific pasta machine), cork (for the back) StazOn ink pads, deep cut rubber stamp in…
Christmas in July Advent Calendar Tutorial
Technically you could adapt this craft from Pretty in Ink to any countdown holiday calendar, but in the spirit of Christmas in July, we're showing off the Advent Calendar so that you have plenty of time to gather your supplies and get started! Great tutorial with step by step photos! Tags:crafts, crafting, glue+gun+crafts, advent+calendar, christmas, holidays…
DIY Wedding Cake Topper
Elizabeth Anne Designs posted this great tutorial on building a wedding cake topper. This one in particular is birds in a nest and is in conjunction with another craft, a paper box wedding cake, which is also a really neat craft. Tags: crafts, crafting, wedding+cake, weddings, paper+crafts,…
Create Butterflies from Polymer Clay
The Crafts Channel shows this great 10minute tutorial on how to create some very pretty butterflies from polymer clay. The instructors are English, so accents and the metric system applies! These butterflies are great for embellishments, magnets, desktop and planters. Tags:crafts, crafting, craft+videos, polymer+clay, butterfly…
Pendant Lampshades- Make Your Own
You ever inherit and old lamp from a parent or grandparent from when you were in college and that ugly thing is still hanging around? You like the light it provides but not the 1970's beige that clashes with your turquoise and brown couch? Change that lamp up for next to nothing! Thread Banger brings us the quick and easy…
Ben Franklin: Not the Electricity Guy
Ben Franklin is indeed an odd name for an arts and crafts supply store, yet here we are. True the name was selected in honor of the man himself (the eletricity guy) but each Ben Franklin store is independently owned and operated. It is however, the closest that I have ever come to when it comes to searching for a…
Make a Butterfly from a Clothespin
Kids Crafts Magazine posted this really simple, economical craft for kids, creating beautiful butterflies from construction paper (or cardstock, scrapbook papers) a clothespin and a pipe cleaner. You may have already seen something very similar to this in preschool crafts, but it most certainly is a timeless project. If you need something to do with your butterfly creations, glue a…
Sea Glass and Sand Orbs
This craft comes from our friends at Dow, makers of Styrofoam. The base of the craft is a Styrofoam ball, but the rest is non-branded crafting materials including spackle, sea glass, mosaic glass pieces or sea shells and perhaps some sand! These are quite pretty and based on the instructions, not to hard to make. So if you've gathered up…
Tramp Lamps
There are Tampon Crafts, White Trash Crafts, so why not Tramp Lamps? Craft Gossip did a fun interview with the creator of Tramp Lamps on their blog last week, in which tramp lamp maker Kelly says the one tool she can't live without is her hot glue gun! Well, Craftzilla can certainly identify with that sentiment! So check out the…
Embellishments You Can Find on Etsy
Let's face it, sometimes we don't have time to create everything from scratch. There really is only one Martha Stewart (let's keep it that way) and once in awhile you want to be creative but are lacking the resources or are in a time crunch. This is why I suggest picking up some easy, affordable embellishments on Etsy. You're support…
Zillas of the World Unite
As we all know, this blog is maintained by Craftzilla herself, the self proclaimed Zilla that presides over all things crafty. Particularly crafts with a glue gun. And yes, I have a holster that holds that glue gun for ease of access and old West like re-enactments around the home. In honor of the Zilla moniker, I have gathered up…
Cute Bottlecap Pincushions
These darling little pincushions from Berrysprite are created with "upcycled" bottle caps, felt, a bit of fabric and some polyfil. They're incredibly easy, darling and a great little gift to give your crafting friends! Check out some more of Berrysprite's work on Etsy! Tags: crafts, glue+gun+crafts, easy+crafts, pincushion, berrysprite,…
Personalized Can Cozy
Materials: Glue gun/ clear glue sticks Plain foam can holder (cozy) any color Craft foam, any colors to match Small piece of cardstock or cardboard for template Plastic letter tiles from scrapbooking or board game 1. Heat up glue gun and put in glue. 2. Start with creating your template for the circles. These don't have to be circles obviously,…
Build a Milk Carton Birdhouse
The Bodwells have provided once again, posting this father-son activity of building a birdhouse out of a milk carton. They've also included an alternative method if you don't want to build, but would rather just decorate and paint one instead. Tags: bird feeder, crafts, crafting, kids summer crafts…
Michael's The Arts and Crafts store
I guess the real question is who hasn't been to Michael's at some point in their crafting career? Being one of the largest nationwide retailers of all things crafty, it's hard to avoid them. Particularly if you need something now, many of it, or are just in an area where those smaller independent stores aren't. Personally I heart the independent…
Scented Bird Satchets
Bittersweet Soap posted this very cute and easy craft for those that want to add a little sewing to their crafting day. The step by step picture tutorial is very helpful and the supply list is short. With the upcoming wedding season, I highly recommend making one of these and attaching it to the top of your gift rather than…
Popsicle Stick Crafts
It's summertime and those popsicle sticks are going to start piling up! What should you do with them? Well, crafting of course. Check out some of the ideas from the crafting community around the web: Talking Child has a whole page of them! Our pick: Butterfly Wand Craft Kaboose's Picture Frame Instructables' Popsicle Stick Basket DLTK's Popsicle Stick Angel Happy…
Creative Wholesale
The Creative Wholesale site is messy, organized strangely and seems almost suspicious sometimes to buy from. But- if you can get past that and know what you want, it's a great bargain. For example, I wanted to purchase Easy Cast Epoxy Resin and didn't want to purchase it in my local store due to the fact that it was astronomically…
