How to Make Birthday Candles

Without visiting a huge party supply store your choices are rather limited when it comes to purchasing ordinary stick candles for a birthday cake. The tiny pillar candles are sold in boxes of several but are usually only available in a few colors. Those kinds of candles had their day but have become somewhat boring over the years. This year, you can easily make birthday candles in neon colors, elegant gold or a variety of other choices instead of using the same old stick candles or spending too much at a specialty store.

Even if youve never made candles, and you dont want to deal with melting wax and pouring molds, you can still make beautiful birthday candles without any of the hassle or mess. If you have tried your hand at making candles, but youve never made stick candles, you have a choice of melting your own wax or going a different route. Any time you melt and color your own wax you save money over alternative methods of making candles. However, non-crafters will find it much easier to choose an alternative method.

Most any craft store carries a variety of beeswax sheets which make creating candles a breeze. Usually sold by the sheet the wax is just a flat, thin piece which is very pliable. Available in many different colors the beeswax is simply cut and wrapped around the wick. You cant get any easier than that! Cut the wicks to the size you want them to be then cut the wax. Each piece of wax you cut should be a hair shorter than the wick itself and wide enough to wrap once around the wick. Position the wick on the wax and roll it until the two ends of the wax meet. Press together and the candle is finished! If you enjoy crafting you might choose to go the longer route towards making stick candles. You can make fake beeswax sheets yourself then use them for all sorts of candle projects. Use a piece of bubble wrap to accomplish this. The piece you cut should have the small bubbles and should be slightly longer and wider than a cookie sheet. Lay the bubble wrap on the cookie sheet with the bubbles facing upward. Melt ordinary paraffin in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Color it how you will with candle tints from a craft store or old crayons from your childs toy box. After coloring the wax pour it over the bubble wrap. After the wax cools enough so that you can handle it, but is still slightly warm, remove it from the cookie sheet and peel away the bubble wrap. Your fake beeswax sheet is finished! Use some of it to make the birthday candles then use the rest to create other candles. Simply roll pieces of wax around the wicks to make any pillar candle. Wrap just a couple of pieces and make a tall, slender candle or wrap another and another piece until you have a chunky pillar candle. To make striped candles cut pieces of the wax sheet from different colors. Lay one piece on the table, then lay another color beside it, and another color beside it. Make sure each strip is touching the previous one and that they are butted together. Position the wick and wrap. If youll be making a thick candle its not necessary to do this each time. If you want, you can wrap the candle again and again in the same color, then use the different colors only for the outside layer of the candle. Its really easy to make birthday candles if you purchase the beeswax sheets, but if you make your own, youll have a lot of fun and end up with great candles as well. Everyone will notice the wildly colored candles youve created and theyll all want to know where you got them. But, youre not giving away any secrets, right?

How to Make an Angel Ornament from a Bell

If you love making your own unique Christmas tree ornaments youll thoroughly enjoy creating a beautiful little angel ornament from a bell. Youll find bells, in various sizes and colors, at craft stores and some discount department stores. Although you can make the angel from any size bell youll be happiest with the outcome if you choose a larger bell.

You can purchase bells in a number of colors, and paint them to the color you want, but its best if you start out with a bell that is white, gold or silver. This will keep you from having to paint the bell in order to complete the craft.

The bell will be the angels body and youll need a wooden ball bead to make the head. The wooden beads are sold in a pack of several but youll only need one. Purchase several bells and several ball beads and youll have a collection of angel ornaments for your tree. The ball bead you choose should be slightly smaller than the bell itself. Glue the wooden ball to the side of the bell that has the slits. Hot glue works great for this project. Now that you have the head attached to the body youll proceed to embellishing the angel. You can use wiggly eyes - or craft eyes - to make the angels face or you can just use a marker. Make the eyes with a black felt-tip marker and the mouth with a red one. It isnt necessary to draw on a nose. You have other choices for creating the face including a sticker face found at a craft store. Your angel can have hair if you wish. Purchase a small bag of yellow craft hair and glue a few strands to the top of the wooden ball. Your angel doesnt necessarily have to have hair, though. Thats up to you. You can make the angel ornament as simplistic or as extravagant as you want. Form a small halo from a piece of gold pipe cleaner. Fold a piece of stretch cord in half and glue it to the angel head. Glue the halo to the hair or to the bare bead with the back part of the halo covering the stretch cord ends. Other choices for making the halo include purchasing a tiny golden band (in the wedding supplies aisle at a craft store), or even folding a piece of silver foil into a ring. Tie a piece of ribbon around the "neck" of the angel. Where the wooden ball meets the bell, you can either tie a piece of ribbon around the neck, or just glue on a small gold, silver or white bow. Embellish the bow with glitter paints, a fake jewel or other craft supplies. There are many different ways to make the wings of the angel. Use wide ribbon to tie a bow and glue the bow on the back of the angel to serve as the wings. Or, create wings from pipe cleaners and organza fabric. Shape the wings the way you want, using white, gold or silver pipe cleaners, then cut organza pieces to glue on the wings. Twist and fold the pipe cleaners into a large "B" shape for each wing. In the openings of the "B" glue organza or lace pieces. Glue the "Bs" together, in the center, on the back of the angel. If you dont want to make the wings yourself craft stores sell all sorts of angel wings you can use. The little angels dont necessarily have to be made into ornaments for the Christmas tree. Use a longer cord and hang them on door knobs or even a rearview mirror. You can even hang the angels on the tie-backs of your curtains or drapes. Let the kids help make the angel ornaments and theyll have an afternoon of fun and creativity. The angel ornaments are so beautiful that theyll become cherished treasures to use for future holidays. The angels are inexpensive to make, easy to create, and will brighten any area where they are hung.

Spool and Clay Pot Skeleton

Make any number of sitting skeletons for Halloween decorating when you use cheap craft items such as wooden beads, clay pots and empty thread spools. Make a whimsical skeleton or a scary one; make the skeleton large or small. No matter the size or type of the skeleton it takes just a few minutes to assemble it.

Since you have a choice of how large you want to make the skeleton you will be the one to decide on the size of the spools, beads and clay pots. Just choose ones that are proportionate to each other. And, you cant use large pots and things. You can use really tiny on up to small pots, beads and spools. Start with two small clay pots and glue them to each other. Set the first pot upside-down on a flat surface. Set the other pot on top of the first one and glue them together. The bottoms of the pots should be glued together. Paint the pots white and allow to dry. This completes the body of the skeleton.

Paint a large wooden bead white and let it dry. Then, paint a simple face on it with a marker or black paint. Set it aside for now. Use a white pipe cleaners to make the arms. First slide on a wooden bead, a little smaller than the head, and glue it to the end of the pipe cleaner. Slide on a spool then a slightly smaller bead. The first bead makes one of the skeletons hands and the second bead makes the elbow of that arm. Slide on two spools to finish that arm. All the spools you use should be the same size. Make the same pattern of beads and spools at the opposite end to form both arms on the same pipe cleaner. There should be a section of the pipe cleaner showing between the two arms. Position the bare part of the pipe cleaner over the top clay pot and push it down into the pot slightly. Glue in place on the edges of the pot. Now glue on the head bead so that it sits on top of the pipe cleaner. If you want, glue on a tiny top hat. To make the legs, slide one painted bead onto the end of the pipe cleaner and glue it in place. This bead should be the same size as the ones you used for the hands. Now slide on two spools (the same size as the arm spools), and another bead. This bead makes the knee and should be the same size as the elbow bead. Now slide on two more spools. Do the same pattern again to make both legs on the same pipe cleaner. Bend the bare part of the pipe cleaner nearly in half to form a point. Glue the point to the inside part of the bottom clay pot. Temporarily set the skeleton down on the edge of a flat surface so that his legs are bent at the knees and his feet touch a surface lower than where he is sitting. For example, set him on a small cardboard box with his feet resting on a table. Make a cane for the skeleton by cutting a small-diameter wooden dowel. The cane not only dresses up the skeleton decoration but also keeps his arms and legs from just dangling. Paint the stick or use it as-is. Glue it across the skeletons lap on the spools just above the knee joints. Glue a painted wooden bead to the end of the stick. Now glue the skeletons hands to the walking stick so that one hand is just below the wooden bead and hand is near the opposite end of the stick. Bend the elbows outwards before gluing the hands in place. Paint one black line down the center of the top clay pot, starting just below the wide rim of the pot. This forms the breastbone. Now draw simple lines going from the breastbone to the sides of the pot to make the ribs. Make a tiny bow tie from fabric or felt and glue it in place. This skeleton can sit in any number of places around the house until Halloween is over.

Milk Jug Decorations for Halloween

I love decorating for the holidays, but for me, the real fun is being able to take ordinary items and turn them into fabulous holiday decor. Its no different for Halloween. Its so enjoyable to save money but have fabulous Halloween decor that neighbors really notice. The true reward for my time and trouble is having people ask me where I got my unique decorations.

Look no further than your refrigerator shelf for your Halloween decor this year. Empty that milk jug and get busy! Youll be making glowing indoor and outdoor decorations, that will turn heads, in no time. Best of all, you dont have to drag out knives and other implements to create the spooky decor.

There are different types of milk jugs, depending upon which company is making the container. Milk jugs which are white are not ideal for this project. Instead, use the ones that are clear. The clear ones, minus their labels, are the best for making spooky Halloween decor. Fill the empty milk jug with water and place it in a sink of water to remove the label. Soapy water will usually allow the label to peel right off. If you have trouble removing the label there are products sold which will melt away the adhesive and make it easier to remove. Usually soap and water will do the trick, though. Since this project is so cheap you may want to invest in a few craft items that will make it even more spectacular. At most craft stores youll find stickers to make spooky faces, like ghosts, witches or jack-o-lanterns. These stickers make it even easier for kids to create glowing Halloween decorations. Peel and stick the face stickers to the front of an ordinary milk jug. Add a strand of lights inside the clean and dry jug. The lights must be the type that run on batteries. Youll find the strands of lights at dollar theme stores and discount department stores. Set the glowing milk jug on a table, stairs, beside walkways, and other areas of the home - inside or out. The project is simple but striking. Make many and light up the whole yard. Make a few to light the house during the Halloween party. You dont necessarily have to purchase stickers to make the glowing Halloween characters. Use markers to create the same effect. Draw a jack-o-lantern face, place orange lights inside, and set anywhere. Or, create a witchs face, add green lights, and watch the ordinary become utterly eerie. If you want to, you can add shredded foil to the inside of the jug. The foil causes the light to bounce around and gives the jug an extra glow. You can weight the jugs down with other things that will catch the light, such as marbles or craft glass pieces. If you dont have anything like that you can always weight it down with sand or beans. Its important to add weight to the jug if youre using it as an outside decoration since the wind can easily knock it over without weights. Even indoors the jugs can be easily knocked over so its a good idea to weight them no matter where theyll eventually sit. You can add other things to the milk jug to make it even more appropriate for Halloween. For example, create a green stalk for the jack-o-lantern character by using fun foam for crafting. The foam is cheap and easy enough to shape into whatever you need. Use black fun foam to make a witchs hat or a top hat for a skeleton or ghost character. The milk jug projects are cute and glowing. Theyre inexpensive and easy, too. You and your entire family will have lots of fun making the jug characters for Halloween, and since the craft is so simple, youll finish the project in no time!

How to Make a Newborns Stretch Headband

Your newborn may not have much hair but does that means she cant have beautiful hair accessories? Of course she can - as soon as you get them made! Its easy to create satin or lace headbands, complete with beautiful embellishments, for your little girl. Youll have so much fun making them that youll end up with one to match every outfit she has! Whether you decide to make the headbands from satin or lace the technique is basically the same. Measure babys head from the back near the nape of the neck, to the top of the head, above the forehead. Cut a piece of quarter-inch elastic to this length.

Cut the satin or lace 3/4" wide and twice as long as the elastic piece. Lay the fabric, wrong side up, on a table. Lay the elastic on top of the fabric. Position the elastic in the center and allow equal amounts of excess fabric on each side of the elastic.

Fold each side of the material over the elastic. The two edges of the fabric or lace should meet in the center of the elastic. Fold one side under, to create a smooth edge, then position it over the raw edge of the other side. Stitch, using a zig-zag stitch, down the center of the elastic. As you stitch, tug the elastic somewhat, so that the fabric or lace will gather as you sew along. When you get to the end remove it from under the presser foot. Now take both ends, right sides together, and stitch across the width of the headband. Trim the excess fabric and threads. The basic headband is now complete. There are many things you can do to change the basic look of the headband. On the top of the headband you can add all sorts of embellishments. Start a little off-center, to the left or the right, and create the design you want. You can form a piece of lace into a circle, stitch or glue it to the headband, then add a satin rose. Or, use tiny strung beads to create an arrangement on a piece of lace. There are many things you can mix and match to create the final look. Its easy to create baby headbands to match every outfit. Great fabric choices for the headband itself include lace, satin, tricot, some velvets and other thing materials. Embellishments can include lace, bows, ribbons, fake pearls or jewels, sequin, tiny buttons, and even yarn. You can even perform one trick that will allow you to make one headband have many different looks. Sew a small square of velcro onto the headband. Now create an assortment of embellishments. Use a piece of lace, felt, fabric or something else as the base for each creation. Stitch or glue on beads, bows or other embellishments. Tack a piece of velcro to the underside of each embellishment you create. Now you can simply pull the previous embellishment off and replace it with a new one anytime you want. Make the headband a neutral color, like white, and you can create a new look to match many different outfits. A different hair ornament you can make for a baby is made like the headband embellishment. Create the circle of lace or fabric, then the bows or beads, and tack a folded piece of velcro the back of the hair decor. Place the homemade bow in the babys hair and use the folded velcro to secure. Simply fold the velcro around a gathering of the babys locks. Its so easy to make these and it costs only pennies to make one. Your baby will have the best hair accessories in town when you make an assortment of the velcro bows and stretch headbands. Scraps of fabric are all it takes to make many. Craft stores offer a huge variety of miniatures that are perfect for creating unique bows and headbands just for your little girl.

Colorful Wire Decor for Any Room

When most people think of wire they usually think of silver or brass colors generally related to wire. You might not know this but wire now comes in many more colors like blue, red or even gold. Although you wont likely find these colors at most home improvement stores you will find them at craft stores. The colorful wire is available on a spool and was created for jewelry-making. The wire has many other uses, though. It can be easily turned into some beautiful things for your home.

Make a monogram from the colorful wire and you can hang it over the mantle, on a door or in another location at home. Form the wire into the letter or letters you wish. Go back and make a second layer, and a third, twisting each new layer to fit over the previous one. If you need to you can use tiny pieces of wire to hold the monogram layers together.

Coloring books can help you create some pretty interesting wall hangings. Use the simplistic pictures as patterns for the wire art. A picture of a bicycle, for example, can become a unique piece of art for your house. Trace over the bike picture with the wire twisting, turning and bending the wire to fit the image. Make two or three layers of the wire for more dimension. There are no limits to the designs you can create with colored wire - or ordinary wire. A star shape, a horse shape, a lighthouse - theyre all possible by using ordinary wire to create the design. No matter what type of decor you have the wire images look great on doors, bookcases, dressers, night stands and more. Make small wire images and affix them to plant pots, picture frames, curtain tie-backs, mirrors, lampshades or wicker baskets. Make huge wire designs and attach them to walls, doors, cabinets, and other large surfaces. You can even attach magnets to the designs and stick them to the fridge or other metal surfaces. Although any design can be made with ordinary wire its fun to work with the colored wire, because you can combine colors to create more vibrant images. Make the main image with one color of wire then add different colors to make the design more interesting. Colored craft wire comes in various gauges. The gauge of a wire determines how easy or how difficult it is to bend. Youll want to choose wire that bends easily enough that you need no implements but is stiff enough to hold its shape. The smaller the design you create the more pliable the wire can be. Large designs need stiffer wire. If the wire designs arent placed directly in the weather they can be made for outdoors, too. If you spray clear lacquer onto the wire image it will help prevent rust. The designs look great on fences, fence posts, outdoor potted plants, mailboxes, and even the garage, but eventually they will rust. If you like the rustic look they can remain hanging even after rusting. Plastic-coated wire, sold at home improvement stores, can be used to make outdoor designs that wont rust. The colors available are limited. Some plastic-coated wiring will not hold its shape like non-coated types. Youre not limited to specific shapes, numbers and letters. Twist the wire into a tiny circle then go around that circle with another and another. Continue making the flat spiral that can then become a trivet for the kitchen table. The easy trivet will prevent hot pans from ruining your table or tablecloth. Its fun to make the wire shapes that can be used in any room of the house. Use the colored wire to wrap plant pots, lamp poles or even drawer pulls. The wire instantly adds color and interest to the area and to the room.

How to Have a Clown Party on a Tight Budget

Hire a clown, if you want to, for your childs birthday party this year, but whether theres a professional clown or not, the kids at the party will crack up the whole time when you let them all be clowns. The transformation is miraculous. When a kid puts on a clown outfit he suddenly turns in to one! It makes for a hilarious afternoon where kids of any age will have the best time of their lives. And, you can do it all on a tight budget.

A clown party is really cheap and easy to set up. From the cake to the decorations to the atmosphere you can put it together for very little money. Hang streamers and/or balloons from the ceiling and you instantly give the room a circus feel. Cut the sides of white trash bags then cut many slits on one edge to make a fringe. Hang the fringe all around the room; it looks fabulous. Or, use a red marker and draw wide stripes on the trash bags and do away with the fringe for a different circus-theme look.

Bake two round cakes, frost the top of one of them, then stack the other on top and frost the whole thing - white. Place animal crackers around the sides of the cake then use tube frosting to draw a cage around each one. Or, put two in a single cage. Use straws for poles and cut a large circle of paper for the big top. Cut a slit in the paper, from one edge to the center, then slide one side of the slit over the other. Keep sliding until the paper takes a cone shape suitable for your big top. Tape the ends down and tape or glue it to the straws. Use a balloon pump to pump up a balloon, write the invitation specifics on it, then let the air out. The recipient will have to blow up the balloon to see what it says. Its a fun way to invite all the guests to the birthday party. Ask kids to come dressed as clowns or let them play dress-up at the party. Lay out mens and womens shoes, costume jewelry, hats, adults clothing and similar things so the kids can get as silly as they want. Set up a full-length mirror so they can see what they look like. The kids will have fun posing for pictures on a balance beam with an umbrella to balance them. Stack a few books or even lay cinder blocks down and cover them with wood. Wrap a black cloth around whatever you use and kids can walk across it like a balance beam. They can be silly in their clown clothes, acting like theyre falling, squatting or standing on one foot as they pose for hysterical pictures while holding the umbrella. Stripe white Styrofoam cups with a red marker, fill them with popcorn, and serve them at the party. Or, use the striped cups - full of candy - as party favors. Turn the striped cups upside-down and set a paper plate on each one to serve finger foods and treats. Get creative with the party favors or prizes for the clown party. Let someone win an old boot from a thrift store. Paint it colorfully then fill it. Place a party tissue paper inside and fill it with wrapped candies, fruit, small toys or other gifts. Instead of a boot someone can win a glove filled with stuff. Make fun toys for the kids by using yogurt cups. Make a hole in the bottom, turn the cup upside-down, then push a dowel rod from the outside to the inside. Glue on a small stuffed animal or novelty figure that easily fits into the cup. Now the child can make the figure go in the cup and pop up to thrill other kids. Having a clown party is one of the cheapest and most fun ways you can give your child a fabulous birthday on a tight budget. The kids will have a blast and you wont feel like you scrimped.

Unusual but Fun Food Ornaments for Your Tree

Some people hang any old thing on their tree and others are prim and proper about decorating it. No matter which way you swing youll love these easy food ornaments you can make and hang. Theyre all simple enough to do and cost very little to make. Most of all, theyre unique and fun to make.

Create any number of shapes from applesauce and white glue. The applesauce has a nice aroma for an ornament, but when you add cinnamon, you have a fabulous holiday fragrance. Mix the three ingredients together and set aside to dry. The applesauce should not be extra chunky and, after mixing, the finished concoction should be brownish.

You can make a mold for the applesauce ornaments from many different things. Use a peanut butter jar lid, a spice jar lid or even a small foil pan shape. Fill the mold with the applesauce mixture and set aside to dry. Fold a piece of string in half and place the ends into the mixture. It can take many hours to be completely dry so allow at least a day or two. If you spray the mold with non-stick cooking spray before you pour in the applesauce mixture the finished ornament will fall right out of the mold. When youre finished with the ornament you can add a bow or other enhancement. A tiny strand of pearls, or similar items, can be added to the finished design. Hang on the Christmas tree and enjoy the apples and cinnamon scent. Another easy ornament to make requires one apple. Core the apple and slice. Its fine to leave the peel on, and in fact, gives the finished project a touch of red (if youre using red apples). The cored apple slices will be rings that are then added to a string. Cut a piece of string or ribbon and begin passing the ribbon through each apple ring. Fill the string or ribbon completely full of the rings then tie the ribbon into a wreath shape. Add a bow and hanger to hang this fabulous and aromatic ornament to the tree. The apples will dry and shrivel somewhat but still look great. These are best thrown away when the holiday is over rather than saving them to place on the tree next year. A completely different food ornament is made when you start with a piece off of a bathroom tissue roll or paper towel roll. Cut bath tissue roll in half, then cut two cardboard discs, each the size of the cardboard tube opening. Cover the discs in a piece of Christmas cloth or wrapping paper. Cover the bathroom tissue roll in the same cloth or paper. Glue one disc to one end of the tube. Fill the tube with small pieces of candy, gum or novelties. Cut a slit in the second disc and slide the end of a tassel into the slit. Glue or tape the tassel in place. Kids can pick the ornament from the tree and pull the tassel to receive the candy. Mix confetti amongst the candy for a real surprise! These ornaments can be made any size and can hold paper money, coins, poems, pictures, and more. They are unique and very easy to make. Make mock candy bars for the tree by starting with the real thing. Eat the candy bars but save the wrappers. Stuff with foam, cotton balls or other materials. Glue the ends shut while trapping a folded string between the sides of one end. The candy bar wrapper ornaments look great on any tree but you can make the miniature versions for very small trees. For huge trees consider making the ornaments from jumbo size bars. Who says ornaments have to be glass, ceramic or metal? Your ornaments will be oh, so fabulous, and youll have a great time making them as well. Get the kids in on the action. They can help make the ornaments - if they dont eat them all first!

How to Tell If Insects Are Safe for Eating in an Emergency

One never knows, when backpacking or hiking, when a catastrophe might occur. There are certain things you must have during such an ordeal to create a positive outcome. Water, shelter and food are amongst the top needs should you ever be lost or stranded in the woods. Its good to know that theres actually food all around you if you are in the wild.

Many plants are edible but you should know the testing procedure before eating wilderness plants. Some - many - can be poisonous and will literally kill you. Although there are few people who are experts on what plants can and cant be eaten there are tests to find out for sure. The same goes for bugs and insects. They are a great source of protein, are plentiful in most outdoor areas, and can keep you alive until help arrives.

Insects are somewhat like plants when it comes to what is edible and what isnt. Some plants are said to taste good whereas others have a bitter or sour taste. Just because something tastes bad, though, doesnt mean its poisonous. Those who have eaten insects for survival say the same thing about bugs: some taste okay and others are really disgusting. Even really disgusting insects, though, can help you sustain life while you wait to be rescued. There are some rules of thumb that can help you determine if certain insects are poisonous but that is not your only concern when it comes to finding bugs to eat. Often, while searching for insects, youll find that some unsavory characters share the same hiding spaces as bugs. Scorpions, snakes and spiders are on that list. Be extra cautions when moving logs, pieces of wood, and rocks in search of edible insects. Never reach inside a tree that has an opening or a rotting log. Insects which feed on dung are not suitable for eating. If you run up on insects in the woods, and they are crawling around deer and other animal feces, pass on them as a food source. Avoid eating bugs that, by nature, sting or bite, such as bees. Although some bees are edible they must first be cooked to make them safe. Bugs which are hairy, like a spider, are off-limits. Some bugs which are nutritious and edible include ants, termites, grubs and worms. Although many insects can be eaten raw some bugs, like certain ants, need to be cooked to remove the poisons. Never eat insects which may carry diseases like flies, ticks or mosquitoes. If you have captured bugs from standing water you should boil the bugs before eating. Avoid eating any brightly-colored bug. Bugs which are bright green, yellow, red or orange should be avoided. Most brightly-colored insects contain poisons and can even kill you if you ingest them. Caterpillars are amongst these forbidden insects. Avoid grubs which are found on the underside of plant leaves. Most of them secret toxins. Although many insects can be eaten raw remove all wings and legs before consumption. Some insects have tiny barbs on their legs which can cut the tongue and mouth. Never pick up dead bugs and eat them; you dont know what killed them or how long they have been lying around. Bugs with hard shells, such as beetles, should not be eaten raw. Under the shell is bacteria that can make you very sick. Cook the beetles by boiling or grilling. The shell can be removed before consumption. Eat worms raw but squeeze the muck out of them before consuming. Most of us cant bear the thought of eating an insect - cooked or otherwise - but in the right situation it could be all the food you have. Bugs are plentiful in any woods and knowing which ones are edible could save your life!

Straw Hat Easter Bunny for Kids, Home and More

Have you ever seen those really small straw hats used for crafts? Theyre really cheap and come in a pack of several. Most people who purchase the little hats use them for dolls and doll crafts but they have many other uses. As a matter of fact the tiny straw hats can be turned into cute bunny magnets and more for Easter. The crafts are so easy that even kids can create them in minutes.

The tiny straw hats are usually brown but can be painted any color. Paint them white or pink for Easter crafts or just use them as-is. Place the hat to where the open side is facing down on a table. The brim area of the hat will hold the ears of the bunny and the remainder of the hat will be the rabbits face. Create a face by first gluing on small wiggly eyes. Instead of the inexpensive craft eyes you can use two tiny black pom-poms instead.

Make a nose and muzzle by using a pink pom-pom and two white ones. Glue the pink one in the nose area then glue the white ones on each side of the pink pom-pom. Instead of aligning the white, pink, white pom-poms lower the white ones slightly. These will form the muzzle. Now youll cut pipe cleaners to form the whiskers. Cut six white pipe cleaner pieces and glue them just under the edges of the white pom-poms - three on each side. Cut two tiny white ears from felt or flat craft foam. Cut two pink ones, too, but make them slightly smaller than the white pieces. Glue the pink pieces to the white pieces to form the outside and inside of the ears. Glue the ears to the brim of the hat. If you want you can glue a bow onto the brim, just below the ears, or even glue on flowers to create something of a bonnet on the bunny. There are many different ways to use the straw hat Easter bunnies. Glue them onto an Easter basket for a child or an adult. Or, make something completely different. Use hot glue to place a piece of felt or fabric on the backside of the hat. Cut a square of magnetic sheeting and stick it to the felt. Now you can place the straw hat Easter bunny on the fridge or another metal surface. Instead of felt, cut a piece of lace, and glue it to the back of the hat. Before you do, fill the hat with dry potpourri, then glue on the lace. Glue on mini clothespin and you can then place the aromatic straw hat bunny on curtain tie-backs, lampshades, scarves and more. Glue a skewer to the back of the straw hat and allow it to extend beyond the hat, towards the bottom. Use the skewer to push the bunny into potted plants and flower pots. The creations add a touch of Easter to many of your houseplants. Purchase button pins and glue the straw hats onto the button hardware. Wear the buttons on vests, shirts, or even scarves. The button hardware can be found at craft stores and stores that sell jewelry-making supplies. The buttons are inexpensive and fun to place in a little girls Easter basket. They can also be attached to curtain tie-backs and some lampshades. Cut a length of satin ribbon and cut it in half. Glue the two halves to the underside of the straw hat. Tie them in a bow and hang the little hats on door knobs and drawer pulls. They can contain potpourri if you wish. For lamps that have a small finial you can simply place the straw hat on top of the finial to give the lamp an Easter theme. Straw hat bunnies are easy for kids to make and they can be used in many different ways. Make some for your kids and home or get the kids to the table and let them create the bunnies for friends and family. Anyone who receives one will love it; anyone who makes one will have loads of fun!

Straw Hat Turtle Magnets, Curtain Tie-Backs and More

Miniature straw hats, available at craft stores, can be used to create a number of different craft and decor items. The hats are inexpensive, light brown or tan, and come in a pack of several. The six-inch straw hats can easily be turned into a cute turtle that can then become striking decorative pieces around your home. The turtles are so easy to make that even a child can create one.

Start by painting the crown of the hat a very dark green color. Paint it all the way down to where the crown meets the brim. Allow to dry and apply a second coat if necessary. While the dark green paint is drying you can then cut felt shapes for the head, feet and tail. These should be green but a much lighter shade than the dark green shell of the turtle. Instead of felt you can use craft foam. The foam is flat, inexpensive, and available in a variety of colors. You can purchase the foam by the sheet or by the pack.

Cut a half-circle for the head and four more half-circles for the turtles feet. The feet half-circles should be somewhat smaller than the head half-circle. Glue the head to the brim of the straw hat. Glue two feet on each side of the hat, in the brim area, where it meets the crown of the hat. Glue two tiny wiggly eyes to the head of the turtle. Cut a triangle for the tail, glue it in place, then return to the painting of the turtle shell. Take a small paintbrush and paint uneven circles on the crown of the hat. The circles should be much lighter in color than the initial green on the turtles back. The green spots should be similar in color to the light green head, feet and tail. Draw one circle in the center of the crown of the hat, then five more spots around that one. This part of the hat that hasnt been painted makes the turtle look like he is laying on the ground or in sand. Use that to create a flower garden or sea scene around the turtle. Glue on tiny flowers and leaves, to create the garden effect, or glue on tiny seashells instead. Either way, youll love the look of the little turtle, which was cheap and easy to create. Now that the straw hat is a turtle you can make the turtle into other things. For example, glue a piece of fabric over the open side of the hat, attach a piece of magnetic sheeting, then stick the turtle to the refrigerator or other metal surface. The magnetic sheeting can be found at any craft store. Its sold by the sheet or by the roll. One sheet will make many of these turtle magnets. Instead of making a magnet create something totally different with your straw hat turtle. Fill the open area of the hat with dry potpourri, glue on a piece of lace, then attach a miniature clothes pin. The clothes pin allows you to hang the turtle on curtain tie-backs, certain lampshades, and more. You can also just use the turtle as it is to set it in plant and flower pots. Glue the turtles onto any number of items around the house to create a turtle theme. Attach them to the fronts of plant pots, mirrors, picture frames, jewelry boxes, lampshades and wicker baskets. Its a cute look that even kids can easily accomplish. Theyll really love making the straw hat turtles and decorating with them as well. Purchase larger or smaller straw hats, make a family of turtles, then parade them across a mantle or another area of the home. Theyre so much fun to make, and cost so little to create, that youll want to make them for all the turtle lovers you know. If you dont know any give them away anyway. The people you know will quickly become turtle lovers when they receive your cute creation!

How to Play the "Party Quirk" Game

The "Party Quirk" game was made somewhat famous by a fun show where comics performed improvisational acts before a large audience. It was fun to watch the comics come up with funny lines and behavior that would keep the audience rolling for the full half-hour. If youre planning to have a party soon why not play "Party Quirk"? You, as well as your guests, will be laughing hysterically! To start the game one person is chosen as the host or hostess of the "party". Another person writes down suggestions for the other players. These suggestions are based on strange quirks or personalities that the party guests for the game will take on. Its much more fun if some people are in the "audience" and some people will be the party guests. Keep the number of "guests" to a minimum of three or four or youll have chaos rather than fun.

Each person who will be a party guest during the game will be given a card telling him what quirk or identity to act out. For example, one persons card can say that he is a frat boy hanging out with his buddies. Someone elses card can say that he is many different animals. Make the quirks or identities as funny as possible.

As the party starts, the host or hostess asks the first guest to come through the "door". The guest immediately enters and begins acting out his or her role. After a few seconds, the host or hostess brings in the next guest, and so on, until all the guests are on the stage performing their quirk or personality at the same time. The person who has made up the personalities, and is dishing out the cards, can make a copy for himself, with the performers name on it, or can just memorize which roles or quirks he gave to which performers. This person is also responsible for saying when the game starts and calling "time" when the game is over. This can be done by either setting a timer so that the game party lasts for several minutes, or by keeping the game running until all personalities or quirks have been identified. During the party, as the hilaritiy ensues, the host or hostess goes through the motions or monologue of throwing a party. For example, this person can ask the first guest to enter then inquire as to what he or she would like to drink. Instead of a normal answer the person will respond in a way that reflects the personality or quirk he has been given. At any time, the host or hostess can say what he or she thinks the other person is. If its correct, the person leaves the stage. If not, the person continues on with his character. During the game the players can, if appropriate, interact with each other. For example, if one person is a drunk in a bar, he might try to pick a fight with another person on the stage. That person can interact in return but must stay in character. If the game is played by timer, the person running the timer can simply call out when the game is over, and at that time the host must then say what each person was acting like. The person calling "time" also has another responsibility. He or she must decide if a guess is "close enough". For example, if the personality was a lonely vampire, but the guess was "sad vampire", the judge can call "close enough". At that point, though, the judge should say what the real quirk or identity was just for the curious. If youre one of the personalities try not to give your quirk or identity away immediately. Be a little more subtle so that the host or hostess must actually think about what you are supposed to be. Its a fun game that has no winners or losers, just lots of laughs!

Change the Look of Your Lampshades with Magnets

Wouldnt it be lovely if we could change our decor anytime we took a whim? Some of us often take a whim but, in the end, its simply too expensive to do so. There are little things we can quickly do, though, which can give a new look to various things in our home without costing a lot of money. One thing in your house that can be quickly changed is a lampshade. No, you dont have to break out fabric and adhesives. Simply get some magnets and get busy! Youll find an assortment of small magnets at any craft store. Choose button magnets or even small, square magnets for this project. The magnets will allow you to quickly make lampshade emblems and other designs. Choose to place one magnet, on the front of the lampshade, or add a novelty to each section of the shade. You can make any design you want just by starting with the small magnets.

Craft stores are famous for the wide variety of miniatures, novelties and small decorations they carry. These are perfect for changing your lampshades. The ornate objects dont have to be metallic; you can add magnets to just about anything! You can find other choices for your shades by visiting a home improvement store or even a discount department store. Look at hardware pieces, small toys, ceramic pieces, wooden shapes and similar items.

If youve chosen a metallic piece youll be able to instantly decorate your lampshade with it. Reach behind the shade and hold the small magnet in place then position the metallic decoration on the front. Add additional magnets and metallic pieces, if you want, or just display the one. When youre ready to change the look again, simply remove the metal piece and replace it with the next decor piece. If the piece you choose is not metallic you can glue a magnet to the back. Choose the appropriate size and shape of the magnets youll use and hot glue them to the backside of the pieces youve chosen. The magnets let you attach hearts, small lighthouses, monograms, miniature animal shapes, or any number of designs. There are any number of lampshade trinkets that you can make yourself instead of going to a store to purchase them. Cut pictures from catalogs or books, laminate them, then glue them to cardboard backings. These allow you to display your favorite images - even pictures of the kids! Group together several soda bottle lids to form a flower. These are cheap and easy to make but look great after theyre painted and affixed to your lampshades. You dont necessarily have to use heavy magnets on the backs of some items. In the tv room, for instance, you can hang old cds or dvds on the lampshades by first sticking adhesive magnetic sheeting to the back of the disk. The same goes for other flat objects such as laminated pictures. Over time make an assortment of the lampshade magnets and youll be able to change the look anytime you want. In a few seconds you can have Valentines Day lampshades, Easter designs, birthday or anniversary novelties, or year-round decor. Its all so easy and fun! Check toy boxes for small toys you can use to enhance the lampshade in a childs room. For older children use beads or Scrabble tiles to spell out their names. There are no limits to the various designs you can do for any room of the house. Purchase small magnets in a pack of several then purchase or make the emblems and other novelties for your lampshades. Any time you get bored just grab a magnet and a trinket then change your lampshades! Nothings easier, and youll have so much fun with it, youll be changing them frequently!

Elegant Glass Picture Candle

Most of us have a picture frame or two in the house, but if you are out of pictures to put in the frames, consider making something new from the glass. Theres an easy yet elegant craft you can create that will make your votive or tea light candles glow more than they normally do. All you need are a couple pieces of glass - of equal size - and a couple things from around the house. When youre finished the creation can be give as a gift or displayed in your own home.

Tear a picture from a magazine and lay it on a piece of thick cardboard. Use a pin or needle to poke holes in the picture. Outline the image with the holes then use the pin to further enhance the picture. For example, if youre using a picture of a lighthouse, outline the lighthouse itself with the holes, then use the pin to create stripes and a tiny window on the lighthouse. You decide how much embellishing you do to the picture.

When youre finished creating the holes set the cardboard aside. Set a glass piece from a picture frame onto a flat surface. Position the picture on the glass, then cover it with a second piece of glass. Both glass pieces must be the same size. The holey picture should be trimmed to the size of the glass. Use metallic tape to create a frame for the glass. Metallic tape dispenses like ordinary Scotch tape and can be found at your local craft store. Its available in shiny colors of gold, silver, red, glue or green. Temporarily clamp the two pieces of glass together. If the glass is small you can even use clothes pins as clamps. Tear a strip of the tape for each side of the glass. Tape the top, bottom and sides, wrapping the tape around the edges of both glass pieces at the same time. After youve taped two sides you can remove the clamps and finish the tape job. Use a block of wood, or something similar, to help hold the glass upright. Glue the wood to the back of the picture, against the glass, to use as a prop. If you dont have a block of wood you can even glue popsicle sticks together. Create a short stack of the sticks then glue them to the backside of the glass. Cut a piece of a small-diameter dowel rod, or something similar, to make the prop. Attach the prop from the middle of the wooden piece to the back of the glass. A different way to prop the glass up is to create two triangles of thick cardboard. Place the cardboard pieces on each end of the glass, on the backside, to create the stand. As the candle glows the light will shine through the holes of the picture. The image will appear as many dots that form the outline of a lighthouse, a tepee, a famous saying, or something else. Any theme you want can be easily created by making holes in the picture. During the daytime, or other times when the candle is out, others will only see the picture inside the glass. But when the candlelight shines through theyll see a glowing image instead. There are no limits to the different designs you can make using the holey technique. Create larger holes by first making the outline of the image with pinholes then using something larger, like a matchstick, to expand the holes. Make sure the holes are spaced so that two holes wont become one hole when you enlarge them. The glass candle pictures are so easy to make that you can quickly create them for holidays, special occasions and more. Make them with cartoon characters or a favorite theme of yours. Any small candle in a container will work to create the glow. Make the candles for your friends and family as gifts. Theyll love them just as much as you do!

Survival Guide: Burn Your Own Canoe

People who live in town, or even out in the country, probably have a hard time imagining what its like to be in the wilderness. With so many people and homes around them its difficult to envision hundreds and hundreds of miles where there is no civilization. If that isnt enough, the inhabitants of such places are often hunters and theyre hunting you! Many people thrive on going out into the wilderness to experience, learn and survive. But, when that occasional, unexpected catastrophe happens, some of these people find themselves trapped with no way to escape. There are so many things that can happen, and so many things youll need to survive, that the outcome is often not good in these situations.

If you ever travel to an area infested with alligators or crocodiles, snakes or even piranhas, youre already on dangerous ground, and should an accident occur, you could be left stranded in the water. And, even if you manage to get out of the water, you could still be left with no way to escape your surroundings.

If youll need to come up with a way to travel through dangerous waters, after living through a catastrophe in the wild, a log may save your life. You cant just float down the river or other body of water with your feet dangling off the sides. You need to be completely out of the water. Find a log and, even though it will take some time and energy, you can turn that log into an escape plan. Its important that you work hard and fast to create the canoe unless you have an endless supply of food and water because youll burn a lot of calories making it. Its a given that youve taken certain supplies along with you on the trip. Start a fire on the ground, and keep it going. Scoop up hot ashes with a knife or other implement and lay them on a chosen, fallen log. Consider where the log is; try to choose one that has easy access to the water. Mark an area large enough to seat you, and even a companion. Place the hot coals in these areas, with the areas centered between the two ends of the log. As the hot coals burn into the log, use a knife or machete to chop away at the log. Even a pointed piece of wood works to shape the wood. As the wood burns its much easier to scrape away. It will take many hours of scooping hot coals, chopping at the log, and shaping the canoe. Shaping the seats of the canoe can be done by using a sturdy tree limb. The limb should be hardwood, not too long, and easy to hold in one hand. Sand away at the seats to shape them into scooped-out areas as they burn. These areas should sink fairly deep to create seats to hold the passenger(s). Any time you need to, pour a bit of water on an area of the log to weaken the fire in that particular area. When the seats are burned into the log, and the fire is out and cold, its ready to haul to the water. Roll it, or if possible, carry the log to the water. Test it first by pushing it into the water to make sure it will float. Step into it, one person at a time, to test that the log will hold your weight. Should the log not be able to hold your weight you have yet another option. Turn it over so that the newly-formed seats will be in the water. This will form air pockets that can help the log float. To keep it from flipping over, though, its necessary to take it back up on land, strap several, long limbs to each side of the log, to form a catamaran-type arrangement. Be sure to take a couple of sturdy limbs with you to push the canoe to safety. Source: Discovery Channels Dual Survival

1960s Ornaments You Make in Minutes

Were you a former love child? Are you fascinated with the 60s? If so, then you absolutely must have some retro ornaments on your Christmas tree this year. Theyre easy to make and cost next to nothing to create. As a matter of fact, you probably already have everything at home that you need to get started! If you were alive in the 60s then you know all about Flower Power. Create fabulous flower ornaments by starting with bottle cap lids. Use six soda bottle lids to create an awesome flower for the tree. Place one cap on a flat surface then glue the other five around it. Before gluing on the last lid glue on a piece of stretch cord for a hanger. The flower is now created.

Paint the center cap purple, and the surrounding caps pink, or create your own look. Paint each cap first, then glue them together, or just paint the entire thing after gluing. Use glitter and glue to make it shine or use felt pieces to give it a different look. You have many choices for decorating the lids including gluing on tie-dye fabric, using neon paints, or covering the flower with sequin. The finished design is all your own.

Instead of pop bottle lids you can use spice jar lids, small thread spools, milk jug caps or other round objects to make the flower shapes. Each set of lids will create a completely different look for the flower-power ornament. You can even glue a picture of you, from the 60s, in the center of the middle cap. Or, glue a picture of a famous rock star from the 60s, a scene from the 60s or something similar. The theme is up to you. Take a popular word from the 60s, like "groovy" or "peace" and make an ornament. Draw the word, using bubble letters, onto a piece of cardboard or craft foam. Create a special look for the word by coloring in the letters, stamping on stars, using sticker images over the top of the word, or otherwise enhancing the word. Now cut out the word and embellishments that youve attached. The cutout doesnt have to take the shape of the actual word. Simply cut around the word in any shape you want. Attach a loop of cord to use for a hanger. Use paint markers, sequin, fake jewels, rubber stamping, or even flat wooden shapes to enhance the word ornament. The word you use doesnt necessarily have to be a popular term of the 60s. For example, create the word "Christmas" then use paint markers to give it a tie-dye look. Make an easy peace sign ornament by first drawing the peace sign on a piece of cardboard or foam. Craft foam makes this project ultra-simple. Cut the letters p-e-a-c-e out of a different color of foam. Glue the letters around the top part of the peace sign. Use paint markers to create a tie-dye look for the peace sign or just glue tiny miniatures onto it. Miniatures can be jewels, tiny stars and moons or other choices. Make tie-dye clothing ornaments by starting with foam or cardboard. Cut out shirts and pants then decorate them. Use felt or cloth pieces to glue onto cardboard shapes or use foam in the colors you want. Use paint markers to create a tie-dye look for the clothing or to write a saying on the shirt. The saying can be something from the 60s, like "Have a Cool Christmas", "Groovy", or "Peace". You create the look you want by using markers, cording, stickers, glitter, jewels and other embellishments. Theres no limit to the number of 60s ornaments you can create using cardboard or craft foam, soda lids, and other items from around the house. Invest in a few embellishments and your tree will take on a retro look like no other tree in the world!

How to Turn Any Pin Button into a Christmas Button

If you own buttons that display advertising, or you have old pin-on buttons youve collected over the years, you can temporarily turn them into Christmas buttons for you and your whole family. There are many different ways to make the buttons much more festive for the holidays. Some of these crafts will change the look of the button forever, so keep that in mind for buttons you dont want ruined, and some of the projects are temporary and will leave your buttons just as they were.

Magnetic sheeting is the secret to making any number of Christmas buttons which are only temporary. Use your print program to print Christmas images directly on the magnetic sheeting or use magazine cutouts with the sheeting. Either way you will make temporary magnets that you can wear for the holidays.

After youve printed the image you want on the magnetic sheeting all you have to do is trim it to the size of the button and stick it to the surface of the button. If you want, you can glue tiny garland around the circular magnet to add more flair. When the holidays are over all you simply remove the Christmas magnets to reveal the previous button. You can get images for your new buttons by cutting pictures from old Christmas cards, Christmas cloth, wrapping paper, product boxes, posters and magazines. Cut the images to the size of the button, stick them on magnetic sheeting, then attach them to the existing button. Make something completely different by using a button magnet. Glue a novelty or other item to the button magnet then stick the magnet to the pin-on button. With this method you can easily make buttons into poinsettias or other flowers. You can paint and attach flat wooden shapes like Santa faces or snowmen. Craft stores are full of small, flat shapes that will work well to make new Christmas buttons. Some suggestions for things you can make into buttons include silk flowers and leaves, ceramic pieces, flat metal pieces, rubber or plastic novelties, fake jewels and similar craft supplies. You can even wrap the button in Christmas fabric or wrapping paper. Simply tape the fabric or paper on the back and wear the button. No one will be able to see the tape, and after the holidays, you simply remove the tape and cloth. Change the look of the button forever by actually gluing craft items directly to the button. Use hot glue to attach flowers and leaves, wooden shapes, cloth, tinsel, hardware pieces and more. You decide how much you want to spend on the button pin. Purchase a nice novelty to add to the pin or go real cheap and simply cover the button with a small piece of Christmas cloth. There are literally hundreds of different buttons you can make for Christmas. Use felt pieces, and wiggly eyes, to make reindeer or snowman faces on the button. Or, glue three different size glitter stars on top of each other then attach them to the button. There are no limits to the various designs you can make. Craft supply choices include glitter, fake jewels, pipe cleaners, pom-poms or even spray-on fake snow. Things you have at home that you could use to make the buttons might include cotton balls, cotton swabs, clothing buttons, a flat ornament, a fake flower or even a paper fan, folded and twisted into a circular shape to stick to the button. The button pins are all very easy to make and fun to wear. Kids will especially love making ones they can wear during the holidays. This craft is particularly special because it is something you can do to suit any holiday or special occasion and costs little to make.

Easy Memorials for Your Deceased Pet

For many of us pets are beloved members of the family. When they pass the grief can be unbearable. Lots of people dont have the means to see their pets buried in a pet cemetery, so a place in the yard becomes the final resting place. Just because you cant afford a fancy production upon your pets passing, doesnt mean you cant create a nice memorial.

Whether the lost pet was a dog, cat, rabbit or bird you can easily make a memorial from a cinder block. Set the block on top of the grave with the blocks openings facing upward. You can dig a hole through each of the blocks openings, to plant flower seeds, or you can set potted plants down in the openings. The flowers can be real, silk or even plastic.

If you want to add the pets name to the memorial simply paint it on the front of the cinder block before placing the block on the grave. Another way to honor the pet is to use a wire and piece of cloth to make a name banner. Choose thin cloth that is suitable for outdoor use. Paint the pets name onto the cloth freehand or by using a stencil. Add stenciled flowers, stars or other shapes. Wrap one end of the cloth around a wrought iron wire and use spray adhesive to secure it. The wire can be pushed into the ground in front of, behind, or beside the cinder block memorial. Create a much smaller memorial by using a brick instead of a block. The holes in the brick will allow you to put bouquet-type floral arrangements into the brick. There are three holes in a normal brick so you can make all sorts of combinations. Create one memorial by placing a flag-type name banner for the center hole, then a bouquet on each side, in the two remaining holes. Or, place three bouquets in the brick, one in each hole. Make the name banner separately and place on a wrought iron stake. If you have a little more room you can create a unique burial marking for the pet. Arrange bricks or rocks into a square, circle, heart shape or oval. Arrange rocks, inside the perimeter of the shape, to spell out the pets name. Or create the shape and place a name banner, on a stake, inside the shape. A piece of Styrofoam makes a great tombstone for a pet dog or cat. Kick boards, made for helping kids in a pool, are the perfect shape. Theyre inexpensive and can be painted and otherwise embellished. Make sure the paint you use is safe for Styrofoam. Some paints can actually melt the Styrofoam kick board. Paint the entire kick board, then paint the name of the pet, or just paint the pets name on the plain kick board. The great thing about the kick board headstone is that you can insert the flowers directly into the Styrofoam. Use a stick or trowel to create a trench to hold the kick board. Hold the headstone in place while you tamp the dirt around the bottom. Stacking a few stones around the base of the headstone will help hold it in place. Use small bouquets of flowers to embellish the tombstone. The flowers can be set amongst the rocks or inserted directly into the Styrofoam. Position the flowers in the front of the headstone or on the sides. The Styrofoam headstone can hold flags and other memorial items. Its a very sad thing when a favorite pet dies but you can remember your pet forever by creating a loving memorial. There are many different choices for creating memorials that are inexpensive yet beautiful. Whether you have a little space or a lot you can make a special place for your late pet. No matter what type of pet you had youll think of him or her and remember the good times whenever you see the memorial.

Easy Scented Clothes Hangers

Whether youre looking for the perfect gift for a newlywed, or you just want your closet to smell fresh and clean, you can make it happen! Theres an easy way to make fabulous scented hangers that can contain any scent youd like. You dont need to know how to sew to make them but you will need some ordinary plastic hangers.

Plastic hangers come in any number of colors. Choose lace pieces that match or coordinate with the colors of hangers youll be using. The plastic hangers are inexpensive and can be found at most dollar-theme stores. Theyre sold in packs of 3, 6 or even 12. Buy the smaller size hangers if youre making them for a child.

A yard of lace will make several hangers. The lace you choose should not have really large openings in the pattern. If it does you may need to create a liner from tuille. To begin creating the scented hangers fold the cloth in half. Position the bottom of the hanger, along the fold, but place the hanger about an inch above the fold itself. Trace around the hanger on the two sides. When you come to the neck of the hanger leave a small space. Now cut out the pattern leaving an inch on each side of the tracing. The lace will then be an inch larger, all the way around, than the hanger. Set the hanger aside for a moment. Open the folded lace and lay it on a flat surface. Position the hanger over one side of the lace. Now sprinkle dry potpourri onto the lace. Fill the hanger area with the potpourri then pull the second side of the lace up over the hanger. Now the potpourri - and the hanger - are trapped between the two pieces of lace. Use ordinary hot glue to attach the two lace pieces together, up the sides. When you get to the neck of the hanger youll stop. Now the lace is closed, with the potpourri inside, but the raw edges of the lace are showing. Trim the lace close to the hanger. Use narrow lace, a half inch wide or so, to cover the raw edges of the hanger. Gathered lace is the most appropriate for this craft. Begin gluing the length of gathered lace to the raw edges starting near the hanger neck on one side. Glue the lace all the way around the hanger, going down the first side, across the bottom, then back up the opposite side. Turn the hanger over and do the same to the other side. Now you can embellish the scented hanger in any number of ways. Create a satin bow and allow the ends to hang long. Glue the bow to the front of the hanger, at the neck area. Add fake pearls, curled ribbon pieces, fake jewels, old brooches, single earrings or other embellishments. A different way to give each hanger a scent is to first soak a piece of felt in liquid potpourri. The potpourri can be purchased or made yourself. Fabulous potpourris are made from apple juice, cinnamon or even lemon extract. When the felt has soaked for a few minutes remove it from the liquid. Allow to set on paper towels until it is no longer dripping. Place the damp felt between the lace pieces as you make the hangers. A different way to make the hangers is to use adhesive velcro rather than hot glue. Position the hanger along the fold of the open lace and use velcro to connect the two pieces of lace. Now you can use hot glue to add embellishments. When the scent fades simply pull the velcro strips apart, empty the old potpourri, and add the new. A set of the hangers makes a lovely gift for newlyweds or even a baby shower. Create some for your daughters closet or for your own. Theyre so easy and inexpensive to make yet they will give any closet an elegant appearance and aroma.

Cute Hair Tie Bracelet for Young Girls

Some girls go through lots of hair ties but did you know theyre good for more than just holding your hair? Thats right. Hair ties make great bracelets, too.

The type of hair ties you need to use are the ones that are colorful, but arent regular rubber bands. The elasticized hair ties should be small and have no embellishments. Hair ties made for babies and small children work best. Elastic cord makes it easy to turn the hair ties into cute bracelets. The cord can be purchased by the spool, at places that sell sewing or jewelry-making supplies, and should be less than 1/16th of an inch in width. The cord is often available in colors of silver and gold. The bracelet will look best if the stretch cord matches a color of hair ties youre using. If youre using more than one color of hair bands choose a color of cord that matches one color of the hair ties.

Cut a piece of stretch cord thats long enough to go around your wrist, allow enough extra so you can tie it, and clip off the excess when youre finished making the bracelet. The piece you cut for the wrist should not be tight around your wrist. The hair ties you add on will take up some room and automatically make the bracelet tighter than the cord you cut. Allow plenty; you can always cut off the excess. Begin by stringing the hair ties onto the elastic cord. Youll add many, many hair ties to the cord so just slip them on and continue adding more. The ties will overlap each other and even butt up against each other. Continue adding even more until the elastic cord simply will not hold any more. Its okay to use several different sizes of ties, which makes the bracelet even more impressive, but dont use really large ones. After you stuffed as many ties onto the cord as possible youll tie a knot, then another. Clip off the excess cord. The bracelet is now complete and ready to wear. Although regular rubber bands could be used to make a similar bracelet the rubber tends to pull the hair on your arm and generally annoy. The cotton-coated hair-ties are much more comfortable and look more attractive. You really cant imagine what the bracelet looks like until you make one. They take on a sort of frilly look thats fun. The bracelets are easy, interesting and very unique. Make a similar one as an ankle bracelet, too. Theyre so inexpensive youll want to make many different colored bracelets. You can add other embellishments to the hair tie bracelet if you want. Small hoop earrings, tiny pieces of chain, rings and even other circular objects can be attached. Feel free to add as many other circular objects that you want. Purchase small hair ties in packs of many by visiting a dollar theme store or a discount department store. Youll find them in packs of assorted colors or packs of solid colors. The more interesting the hair ties, the more interesting the bracelets you can make. Depending upon the colors and patterns you choose you can make hair tie bracelets that match every outfit in your little girls closet. Older girls will have fun making the bracelets, too. Let your girl invite some other girls over to have a bracelet-making party. Theyll have lots of fun and will really enjoy the finished item. The craft is the perfect activity for slumber parties, birthday parties or just for an afternoon of fun. Your little girl will love making - and wearing - the hair tie bracelets. All of her friends will be so impressed theyll each want one, too. Your girl will be the life of the party when she teaches them all how to make them!

How to Make a Broom Cover Doll

You have a choice: sit your broom, naked, in a closet or corner or dress it up beautifully to be a show piece in your home. Why would anyone choose anything but the latter? Its easy to make a cover for your broom that looks like a doll. It doesnt take much money to make the cover and, when you do, youll no longer have to hide your broom! A knee-hi stocking will help you create the head of the broom doll. Stuff the stocking with foam, cotton or other materials. Work with the stuffed stocking until youve made it into the shape of a head. After youve created the perfect shape use a rubber band to loosely close the opening of the stocking.

You have all sorts of options for creating the face and other features of the doll head. Craft stores sell doll hair thats perfect for giving the broom doll the look you want. Along with the hair - or instead of the hair - you have many choices when it comes to hats and head wear. A large brimmed hat can even be used to cover the face entirely. The point of that being to keep from having to make a face on the doll at all.

If you decide to make a face for the doll you can use any number of craft supplies or implement things from around the house. Wiggly eyes, felt pieces, fake eyelashes, yarn and other craft supplies are inexpensive and will give you the look you want. Buttons, markers and even scraps of fabric are some things you may already have around the house for use in making the doll. After youve created the face youll need something that will serve as the neck of the doll. A bathroom tissue roll - or even a small plastic glass - can do the trick. Slide the object into the rubber band area of the knee-hi. The tube, or cup, will slide over the top of the broom handle. If using a cardboard tube be sure not to fasten the rubber band too tightly or youll cause the tube to collapse. Other choices for the neck include a wide metal ring, a shower curtain ring or something similar. Search thrift stores or yard sales to find a little girls floor-length dress. To find the right size place the head of the doll on the broom. Measure from the "neck" to the floor. The dress you choose should be long sleeved and should come up high on the neck. Avoid dresses that have a scoop neck or "v" neck. Dresses that button or zip up the back, and have collars in the front, are perfect for this project. Stitch or glue the neck area of the dress to the neck area of the doll head. Leaving the doll head on the broom while attaching the dress is a big help. The broom holds the head still while you stitch or glue. Its not necessary to stuff the dress or the sleeves; just let them hang as they are. Whenever you want to use the broom just remove the doll from over the top of it. Slide the doll back over the broom when finished. When sliding the doll onto the broom the broomstick will simply slide into the cup, ring or tube youve used for the neck. If youve stitched the dress to the neck its possible to launder the doll. If youve used any glue on the project avoid placing the doll in the washer or dryer. If you plan to stitch the dress to the neck, and you plan to launder later, make sure the dress youve used has been previously laundered. If not, it could shrink leaving your broom bristles exposed. No one wants that! Have fun making the broom doll that will allow you to display your broom rather than hide it from visitors. The broom doll is fun, easy and looks great. Youll spend little money making it but youll have a lot of pride when youre finished!

Hanging Ball Toss Carnival Game

Having a carnival or circus party? Thats going to be fabulous. Set up some fun attractions; put together exciting carnival games for prizes. One really great game that can be played at nearly any party is a hanging ball toss. Use balls or beanbags to throw into holes of a background and win prizes. The hanging ball toss game will be the hit of your carnival party.

Its not hard to make beanbags. Just cut two squares, stack them so that their right sides are facing each other, then sew almost all the way around them. Leave a tiny opening where you can turn the bag right-side-out. Fill with beans or rice and sew the opening shut. Instead of beanbags you can also use tennis balls.

Cut a piece of vinyl to make a hanging backboard for the carnival game. A good way to get cheap vinyl is to use a plastic tablecloth or shower curtain. You can find these at a dollar theme store but make sure the plastic isnt too thin or it could rip as the guests play the game. Cut the vinyl or plastic piece to be about 34" x 56". You can use the vinyl piece as it is or you can decorate it. Make stripes with a marker or even with tape. Or, create a polka dot effect with paint or markers. When it looks like you want it to, use a large glass or small bowl as a pattern to make circles all over the vinyl. With one short side of the material facing you, make three holes, vertically, down one side of the vinyl, then do the same to the opposite side. Make two holes in the center. Center and space all the holes of the arrangement. The holes you make should be about one and a half times the diameter of a tennis ball. Take colored tape and wrap it over the cut edges of the holes. Folding the tape in half, place half on the backside of the hole, and half on the front side, and go all the way around the hole; do this to all 8 of the holes. Number the holes as follows: the holes down the left side will have scores of 20, 30, and 10, from the top to the bottom. Number the holes down the opposite side the same. For the two center holes, number the top one 50 and the bottom one 40. Write the numbers under the circles with a marker. Cut netting pieces to catch the balls as they are thrown through the holes. Cut the pieces into rectangles. A rectangle should be long enough to wrap around a hole with a couple inches to spare. The length should be twice that. Turn the netting piece into a cylinder shape and sew the side together. Place one opening of the cylinder over one of the holes and sew it in place so that the net cup is on the back. To finish the cup, simply tie a string tightly around and around the opening at the end of the cup. Or, sew the opening shut to finish the pocket. Attach one pocket to each hole. Along the top edge of the vinyl, lay a long piece of twine, then fold the vinyl over it. Stitch or tape the folded piece, from one end to the other, with the string inside. Take the ends of the string, bring them together, and tie a knot. This will allow you to hang the ball toss game. At the opposite end, attach another string. Poke a hole in the middle of the edge, slide the string through, then tie the ends together. This will give you a loop at the bottom which can be staked to keep the game from blowing or moving. Create a line behind which the guests will stand to throw. Each guest can have one throw or even three - whatever you allow. If a ball goes through a hole that guest can win a prize which has been previously labeled with a number which coincides with the hole. Itll be a huge amount of fun!

Hatbox Crafts for Christmas

Have you uncovered a collection of old hat boxes and you have no idea what to do with them? Maybe youve just picked some up, at yard sales, over the years? If so, did you know that there are many Christmas decorations you can make with the boxes? Some of them would change the look of the hatbox forever, so keep this in mind for any boxes you dont want ruined, but other projects would use the boxes almost as-is.

Hat boxes arent exactly a thing of the past although they arent as popular as they once were. Women used to need a box for each hat they owned to protect it from dust and elements. The boxes were often stacked dozens high in the closets of women across the world since hats were extremely fashionable. Hats arent as popular nowadays but they can be when it comes to decorating your home for Christmas. The hat boxes are great for jazzing up the kitchen, the bathroom and more.

Old hat boxes might be worn and scuffed, but with the help of a piece of cloth or ribbon, the ordinary shabby box can become something new in minutes. If you care to change the box completely there are other crafts that, although taking a little longer to accomplish, will turn your old hat boxes into cherished holiday decor. One quick way to use hat boxes for Christmas decorating is to place them on the kitchen or dining room table. They make fabulous pillars and stands for the desserts, candies and other goodies. Wrap a piece of foil wrapping paper over the top of the hatbox and tape or otherwise secure it underneath. Use wire ribbon, cloth, felt or other materials to cover the sides of the hat box. Now you can set plates of food on the fabulous stand that give your table a very festive appearance for next to nothing. If your hat boxes dont look bad you can use them as-is on the table, rather than covering them with paper, cloth or decorative items. Give the bathroom a Christmas make-over in minutes by using the decorated boxes. Arrange a towel in the hatbox and place soaps, towels, wash cloths, beauty aids and bath products inside. Instead of a towel you can line the hat boxes with Christmas cloth. Wrap the outside of the hat boxes with Christmas cloth or velvet ribbon, if desired. If you have hat box lids, but no boxes, dont throw them out. Use a dowel rod as a stick for a giant sucker made from two lids. Glue the lids together trapping the stick between them. Paint the lids candy colors, make a swirl pattern and create stripes or other designs. Or, just wrap each lid with foil Christmas paper, glue them together, and set them out in the yard. The giant suckers look great aligned in a row outdoors. Use hat boxes as candy and cookie holders at Christmas. Cut pieces of cardboard and cover them in new wrapping paper. Place cookies in the bottom, which has been covered in foil, then place a paper-covered cardboard circle on top of them. Add more cookies, another cardboard piece, and so on until you have filled the hat box with Christmas goodies. Its easy to make a fabulous centerpiece from a hat box. Cover the box with white felt then build a tree on top. The tree can be a Styrofoam cone, to which youve added decorations, or can be a miniature tree from a craft store. Decorate it to your satisfaction and place the finished masterpiece in the center of the table. There are lots of things you can make from hat boxes and some of those things will make your Christmas even merrier. If you have a hatbox or two why not try some of the crafts above? Theyre all very easy and cost very little to make.

Dress Up Your Liquor Bottles with Doll Clothes

Okay, if youre a guy, you probably dont want your booze bottles all dressed up in dolly clothes. But if youre a gal its a cute way to do something different and catch the eye of your visitors. It only takes a couple of seconds to dress your bottles - all of them or some of them - especially if you have a daughter or a little girl in the house.

Slightly used doll clothes are perfect for dressing up your bottles. There are certain articles of clothing, though, which work best. Shirts that are about the same in length as the bottle are great. Those shirts should have short sleeves for the best look. In addition, shirts you choose should have a small neckline rather than a "v" neck or scoop neck. Shirts that button down are great. Even short dresses work well to doll up your booze bottles.

Whether you have a bottle you keep on your night stand, or a cabinet containing several bottles, the little doll outfits will not only conceal the bottle, if thats what you want, but can also jazz up the look of the bottles. Dress up one bottle, a couple of bottles, or all of them. If you have no doll clothes start looking for them at local yard sales and flea markets. You can also check variety stores and secondhand stores. Doll clothes are a dime a dozen so you shouldnt have too much trouble finding something suitable. Take a general measurement of the bottles you have at home and look for clothes that will be approximately that size in length. If you dont find what you want you can always look in stores which sell doll clothes to find the perfect outfit. You can take the bottle dressing a step further and make heads for the "dolls". A large wooden bead can serve as the head. Youll find beads which have only one hole at most craft stores. The beads are meant to be "caps" for dollhouse fences, staircases and other crafts. Use a marker to draw on a face. Even glue on doll hair if you wish. The finished wooden head can be easily slipped on and off the bottle at any time. If you like dressing up your liquor bottles, but dont care if theyre not completely covered, you can even make little grass skirts for them. Purchase the grass skirt with bra top at craft stores or make your own. Use raffia to create the skirt and scrap cloth to make the bra top. Youll find leis, tiny straw umbrellas and other accessories at a craft store. Similar items that can be used to make skirts for the liquor bottles include fringe and even curtain tassels. You dont necessarily have to use the doll clothes to cover booze bottles. If you just want to display some unique doll clothes in an unusual manner you can use most any bottle underneath the dress or shirt. Dress up the bottles and display them on top of the fridge or a shelf in the kitchen. They dressed up bottles even look cute in a bathroom or bedroom. It only takes a second to slip a shirt or dress onto a bottle. Instantly the bottle becomes a display for intriguing doll clothing designs. If youre someone that collects doll clothes its an interesting way to show them off. If not, just conceal a single bottle, whenever you wish, by sliding the outfit over the bottle. Youll enjoy the look of the dressed up bottles and what a conversation piece! All of your guests will notice the bottles - if you choose for them to - but placed in discreet places the dressed bottles can go completely unnoticed. Use the doll clothes to cover cooking oil or condiments in the kitchen, lotion bottles in the bathroom or even perfume bottles in the bedroom. What a cute look!

Art Supply Caddy Kids Make from Egg Cartons

If your family eats a lot of eggs you would be amazed at how many of those styrofoam egg cartons you throw away in a years time. The next time you get ready to toss one, remember that there are all sorts of things you can make with them. One of these things is an art supply holder for little kids. Theyll love helping to make it and theyll thoroughly enjoy using it during art time at home.

Cut the Styrofoam egg carton down the center, lengthways. Turn it upside down. Now poke a hole in the top of each section of the carton. The holes you poke will become the holders for crayons, markers, pencils, pens or similar items.

You can create a caterpillar from the egg carton by adding a few craft supplies. Start with chenille pipe cleaners in the color you choose. The furry pipe cleaners can be cut into pieces that form legs. Cut one pipe cleaner into four pieces then bend the pieces to form the legs. Stick the end of one pipe cleaner piece into the side of one egg carton section. Do this for each section then do the same thing to the other side. So, after adding the legs youll have six legs on each side. Now youll take two more pipe cleaner pieces to form the antennae. Stick them in the top of the first section of the egg carton. You can embellish the antenna by gluing a tiny jewel onto the top of each antenna. You can purchase wiggly eyes to glue on or you can just draw the eyes on with a marker. There are many ways to decorate the caterpillar art supply holder. Give the caterpillar a mouth formed from a strip of red felt, a red marker, or even a piece of red licorice. Or, purchase a set of stickers that form a face, and affix them to the caterpillar. You dont necessarily have to use the egg cartons which are made from Styrofoam. You can use the cardboard types as well. You can make the caterpillar longer, by adding on another half of an egg carton, or you can make it smaller by using only three or four sections of the carton. By adding on another section you can then have one section that holds, say, crayons, with a second section that holds markers. Or, the entire caterpillar can hold an array of colored pencils. The supplies you use the caterpillar to hold are up to you. You can make a different caterpillar that can hold other things besides writing instruments. Cut the carton in half, but instead of turning it over, leave the concave side of the sections facing upward. Attach the legs, eyes and antennae as you did before. Now the little cups can hold paper clips, fake jewels, buttons, and many other types of supplies. Place two of the half cartons next to each other and make a two-headed caterpillar. Kids really love helping with this project and there are so many different ways to embellish it. You can even attach a separate head, without using one of the egg carton cups as a head. Things you can use to make a head include pom-poms, a small rubber ball, a ping-pong ball, or even a ball of tissue. Glue on eyes and antennae then glue the head onto the first cup of the egg carton. Instead of using chenille sticks for the legs you can use sticks, toothpicks or even sections cut from straws. Youre not limited by having to use craft supplies; look around the house and youll find all sorts of things you can use instead. You and your kids will really enjoy this easy art supply project. If you have an empty carton of eggs you can make two caterpillar caddies today! The project will give kids something to do on a rainy day and theyll create something they can use for years.

Your Un-level Bed Could Be the Cause of Your Backaches

After a recent injury I was forced to live with excruciating back pain, legs that felt like electricity was running through them, and throbbing that caused a toothache feeling in legs. Im still not completely healed but I have gotten much better. The problem was - and is - a pinched sciatic nerve. Since I did not opt for surgery Ive searched for other forms of relief from my pain.

Over the past several months Ive spent weeks on heating pads, endless hours dazed from pain medications, and even resorted to visiting a chiropractor. Although some things I tried did ease my pain somewhat nothing made the pain just go away. I was to the point where I did consider the surgery which can sometimes leave the patient in worse shape than they were previously. Before I finally opted for that surgery, though, a friend suggested I take a good look at my bed.

I immediately dismissed the bed idea because I had recently purchased a brand new box springs and mattress. Naturally I thought a brand new set would be perfectly fine and there couldnt possibly be any connection between it and my troubles. The subject of the bed came up several times, over the course of my ordeal, and one day I finally decided to run some tests on the bed to see if there was any validity to what she was saying. Her suggestion was to place a level on the mattress to ensure the bed was sitting level. We did just that, and lo and behold, the bed actually wasnt level! The problem wasnt with my new box springs and mattress. The problem was actually the floor. Seems the floor was slightly down hill at one corner of the bed. Sitting the level on the bed, first vertically then horizontally, allowed me to see that with my own eyes. Homes have a settling process that takes place over many years. This settling can cause everything from weakening supports to causing un-level floors. The floor could be braced up again, but in the meanwhile, we created a temporary wedge for the corner of the bed. Im here to tell you that I began to improve almost immediately! I started sleeping better, with less tossing and turning, and the back pain has almost completely disappeared. Within the month I was walking better and the electrical feeling in my legs had diminished considerably. Although Im not completely healed and still have some pain, some tingling and some restless nights, my condition has improved to the point where I rarely have back pain and I can walk much better than before. Im not suggesting that anyone with sciatic nerve problems has an issue with their bed, or that leveling your bed will instantly make your health improve. It is a good idea, though, to check your bed just in case it really is un-level. Because of the design of some mattresses it may be necessary to first lay a board on the bed before positioning the level on the board. Check the level both vertically and horizontally on the mattress. There are many different ways to level a bed including floor repair, placing a wedge under a particular area of the bed, or even the placing of boards between the box springs and mattress. If your bed turns out to be un-level try one of these methods for leveling it. A pinched sciatic nerve is a serious matter. It can cause extreme pain in the back and legs, tingling, loss of feeling in the extremities, throbbing of the extremities, and other serious pain. Although you might not get instantly better after leveling your bed you may very well be surprised to find yourself in less pain and feeling much better very soon!

Cereal Bowl Pincushion

You get up every morning, eat your favorite cereal, then head towards the sewing machine to create something fabulous, right? Even if thats not always your own scenario take another look at that cereal bowl. An odd bowl with no mates is the perfect choice for creating a cute and unique pincushion to set beside your machine.

Whether the bowl is plastic, ceramic or glass you can still use it to make a pincushion. Clear glass bowls are not ideal, though. Choose the bowl you want to use then look through your sewing scraps to find everything else you need to make the bowl pincushion. There are different things you can use depending upon what you have on hand.

Turn the bowl upside down on a piece of white felt. Draw around the bowl and cut out the circle. Set this piece aside for later. Fill the bowl with scrap fabric, foam pieces, cotton balls, or even paper towels. The bowl should be stuffed nearly full and the filler materials packed tightly. Use the piece of white felt to cover the stuffing and create the look of the milk in the cereal bowl. Dispense hot glue around the inside of the bowl and position the felt. A different way to create the pincushion is made using a piece of Styrofoam. Cut a disc of the Styrofoam slightly smaller than the opening of the bowl. Turn the bowl upside-down onto the Styrofoam, draw around it, then cut the Styrofoam just a tad smaller than the drawing. Fill the bowl nearly full as suggested above. Cover the Styrofoam with the white felt and glue the covered disc down into the bowl. Instead of felt you can use most any white fabric. Choose beads that look similar to various cereals to enhance the pincushion. For instance, most stores that sell beads have a selection that looks something like Life Savers candies. These beads are perfect for creating a Fruit Loops cereal look on the felt. Use hot glue or fabric glue to attach several of the flat, round beads to the felt. Other bead choices include small beige or brown oval beads to make Cocoa or Rice Krispies, round colorful beads that resemble Trix cereal, or similar selections. Instead of white felt you can create chocolate milk in the cereal bowl pincushion by using brown felt. Of course, the beads will need to resemble a type of cereal which leaves the milk chocolate-flavored. Youll find any number of appropriate beads at a craft store or a store that sells jewelry-making supplies. You dont have to attach a whole lot of beads to the felt. Just randomly glue a "cereal piece", here and there, on top of the "milk". You cant believe how real the cereal looks after youve finished the craft. Stick needles and pins any where on the felt, even through the circular beads. The bowl will hold a huge number of needles, straight pins and even safety pins. If you dont have room for a huge cereal bowl you can make something similar from a pudding bowl. Eliminate the beads and use chocolate-colored felt to make the top of the pincushion. Or, glue on white felt and use craft chocolate kisses to embellish. There are many different creations you can make by combining various colors of felt with tiny craft supplies. Forget bowls altogether and create a coffee cup pincushion instead. Use black or dark brown felt and glue it in a stuffed coffee mug. The mug can be hot chocolate instead, with pom-pom marshmallows on top. Whether you make a bowl or a cup pincushion, itll be easy to make and will serve you well for years. If you dont sew make one for your friends who do. Theyll treasure it for years to come!

Garden Party Table Decorations

Having a garden party? A few friends over for an outdoor dinner? You can give the table a lovely garden theme by using a few things you already have - growing or not. Living things plucked from your yard or garden, as well as things normally used for gardening, can help you quickly and elegantly set your garden-theme dinner party.

Make leaf votives by choosing leaves that look similar from the garden or yard. Wrap a rubber band around a votive candle holder - a little below the center line. Slide the first leaf under the rubber band, then the next, and so on, until the leaves wrap all the way around the candle holder. Tie a ribbon around them, just above the rubber band, then remove the band. If needed, trim the leaves to be level with the top (or bottom) of the candle holder. For the best look, leave tips of leaves level with the top of the holder while trimming the bottom leaves even with the bottom of the holder.

Make something different by attaching a single rose or other flower to each votive candle holder. Just tie it on with a ribbon. Make something a bit more unusual by placing a tall taper under a hurricane lamp shade then tying the ribbon around it to hold a tall flower - or small group of them. Use clean, clay pots and saucers to serve your guests. They can be painted or used as-is. Take a hand towel and push the center of it inside a clay pot. Position the edges of the towel out and over the top of the pot. For a saucer simply lay a napkin or other cloth over it. Use these to serve bread, crackers, lollipops, finger foods and more. Crumble a baked, chocolate cake into a new garden bucket for a dessert meant for a large crowd. Top by pouring chocolate ice cream topping all over it. Serve it with a new hand spade. Edible flowers, like pansies, roses or snapdragons, make it easy to create luscious drinks or desserts with a floral appeal. Use only the petals from the flowers; wash and dry them on paper towels. Do not buy flowers to serve guests; they can be treated with pesticides and arent intended for eating. Use large, supple, green leaves as coasters for your dinner party. They fit right in with the theme of things and work well for keeping moisture off the tablecloth. Another quick leaf project is done when you fold a napkin, tie a string or ribbon around it, then tuck in a single leaf. Make a different version by tucking in a single flower. Make a different kind of coaster by pressing leaves and/or flowers flat. stack books on them for a few hours, lay one on a paper doily, then cover it with a circle of clear contact paper. If you use clear plates you can make gorgeous place settings that take only minutes. Press flowers and leaves under books until flat and lay them on a colored charger plate. Set a clear plate over it and youll be shocked at just how elegant the arrangement is. Dont have a garden? You can still join in on the fun! Clip blades of grass and glue them to pillar candles - short or tall ones. Cut the blades to different lengths but leave the points intact. Align the bottom of the blade with the bottom of the candle and glue it on with white glue. Group some blades together; space others apart, or create your own design. When the glue has dried brush a layer of glue over the grass. Your guests are really going to think you went all-out to decorate the table for them but youll know it was no big deal. All you had to do is take a walk around your garden - one of your favorite things to do, anyway! See clear flower plates here.

How to Make a Lava Cake

Whats better than chocolate? How about chocolate embellished with chocolate? What about chocolate with chocolate center? You cant get more chocolate than that! You might have seen those new lava cakes on tv but thought they would be much too difficult for you to make yourself. Not true! Anyone who can bake a cake can make a delicious lava cake that will leave your family or your guests full and satisfied.

You can make lava cakes in various sizes but some sizes might be more appropriate than others, depending upon the circumstances around the serving of the cake. If youre only interested in a cake that has a liquid chocolate center, but the chocolate doesnt necessarily have to be hot, you can make the cake any size you want. If you want the chocolate center to be hot and gooey youll want to serve a large cake almost directly out of the oven.

If you will bake the cake long before serving, yet you still want the chocolate in the center to be hot, it will be necessary to reheat the cake in the microwave. Heating a large cake in the microwave until the center is warm can take much longer than heating small cakes. Large cakes can become spongy upon heating in the microwave. If you make small cakes theyll be easy to heat to the point of making the center chocolate hot. Another good reason to make the lava cakes in individual pans is the fact that, as you cut it, the "lava" will run out. That makes it difficult to serve the cake with the liquid center. If individual cakes are made each person will get their fair share of liquid chocolate center. Serve on individual dessert plates or even in small bowls. Bake the cake(s) as you normally would according to package directions or even make the cake from scratch. Devils food, or even ordinary chocolate cake, is perfect. After removing the cake from the oven let it cool completely. After it has cooled remove it from the pan and place it on a plate or other dish. Cut the cake in half and set the top half aside for the moment. Begin picking away the center of the cake. You can use a spoon or fork to remove large chunks of the cake. Or, you can use a knife to cut a circle or square into the cake and remove this piece. When youre finished you should have the entire center of the cake removed but the bottom still intact. Make sure you leave a one-inch thick bottom remaining. Chocolate used as ice cream topping, or liquid chocolate used for making chocolate milk, are perfect to make the lava inside the cake. Fill the hole in the cake with the chosen chocolate. Fill it all the way up to the top of the opening. Now replace the top of the cake. If the cake is served warm do not add frosting. You can sprinkle powdered sugar on top, if desired. If the cake will be served cold its okay to frost it. Use chocolate frosting or any other flavor. Even though the chocolate in the center will not be hot it will still be liquid. You can decorate the top of the cakes in any manner you wish. Add sprinkles, candies or other items - only if the cakes will not be reheated. Although the lava cakes are delicious you can make the cake with other centers besides chocolate. Ice cream toppings like caramel can be used instead of the chocolate. Just cut the cake in two, dig out the center, then add the preferred ice cream topping and replace the top of the cake. When you serve the lava, caramel or similar cake your guests or family will never forget it! Itll be quickly become a favorite so be prepared to make lots and lots of the scrumptious cakes!