11th Annual Hilo Christmas Craft Fair - Friday, Nov. 29th from 1pm-9pm & Saturday, Nov. 30th from 9am-3pm

Join us for our annual Hilo Christmas Craft Fair on Friday, November 29 from 1-9pm  & Saturday, November 30 from 9am-3pm at the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, $1 Admission Fee. Event is sponsored by HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts Hilo. 

Start your holiday shopping at the Hilo Christmas Craft Fair

Shop for handmade crafts and gifts for the holidays! Vendors include: Charlotte Grimm & Raquel Boromeo, Kamano Wood Arts, Mejiro by Oona Menezes, 808 Kettle Corn & Sweets, Gifts by Mamie, Hawaii’s Finest Big Island, Anela’s Jade, Hoomana Oils and more. See Hilo store for more details.

Thanksgiving Day - 20% Off BYO-Bag Sale - Thursday, November 28th - One Day Only!

Bring your own reusable bag on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 28th and save 20% Off* your entire purchase! Oahu and Hilo stores will be open from 9am-2pm and our Kahului store will be open at night from 8pm-12am.

Shop with us on Thanksgiving Day!

Also, be sure to check our sale flyer this week to see our ONE DAY SPECIALS for Friday, November 29th only and our Santa's Helpers Sale - Friday, November 29th to Friday, December 6th. Sale flyers also available for viewing and download on our website here.

*This promotion cannot be combined with your Ben Franklin Craft Club discount and any other discounts or coupons. Discount does not apply to Custom Framing, all pre-orders, Gift Cards, consignment or My Locker items. Limited to stock on hand. No rainchecks.

Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving from the HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts Ohana!

CraftStar Workshops with Amy Tan

We are so happy and excited to announce that Amy Tan, founder of Amy Tangerine is coming back to Hawaii to teach two workshops at our HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts Store in Mapunapuna! Workshops are both on Saturday, December 7th. Amy will be teaching a Project Life Workshop from 10am-11:30am and from 1pm-2:30pm Lovely Layouts - 2pg. Scrapbooking Layout. Cost is $75 each workshop, with a bonus kit included.

Limited Seating! Sign-up today!

Sign-ups are going on now at our Mapunapuna store and space is running out fast! See our flyer on our website here for more details.

Get on the Shabby Chic Grapevine

I've seen a lot of fall decorations made with grapevine wreaths lately; especially, I think, because the woodsiness of grapevine can really enhance the feeling of autumn in your home. However, once we move past fall, you shouldn't put those decorations away; you can easily update your grapevines for Christmas. Here are a few Christmas grapevine decorations for you to peruse:

First, a simple and wondrous, wintry wreath. The shades of blue and gray and the glittery, icy, frosted accents make your "winter wonderland" easy to achieve. If I could, I would do up my whole house in these vintage hues, they give me such a feeling of calmness and serenity, like a quiet, winter morning.

Next up, here's a fun idea for a tall window or door; how about making a grapevine snowman? The homely and rustic grapevines are spray painted white and then wrapped in lights for extra appeal. A pretty piece of ribbon then becomes our snowman's scarf. Our "Frosty" catches everyone's gaze without going overboard.

And last, here's a beautiful grapevine chandelier to hang in your home. Again with this piece we've taken the rustic grapevine and added some glitz in the form of glittery ornaments and a deep, teal color. The end result is a chic and playful hanging that has hints of a primitive, unsophisticated style.

I hope you enjoyed our grapevine, shabby-chic Christmas ideas. Only 29 more days to go til everyone's favorite time of year!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Rainbow Deco Mesh Christmas Tree

Aloha Crafters ~

Today's Idea & Inspiration is a festive Rainbow Christmas Tree. Our deco mesh comes in a variety of colors and limitless uses. The above example uses 5 colors of the rainbow wrapped and tucked in the tree. Giant bows were formed and tied with wire to the spots where the deco mesh was tucked in the tree. Giant poinsettias were then added. This tree is a visual reminder of how blessed we are to live in this land of aloha, beauty and rainbows. 

Happy Crafting!

Robin @ Kahului

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 318 - Fall Monogram Wreath

Puna joins us one last time to demonstrate how easy it is to use a grapevine wreath to make a quick and chic fall themed wreath.

Decorate your door with a Monogram Wreath

Watch our video here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 318 - Fall Monogram Wreath 

Supplies:

Grapevine wreath

Assorted picks

Large flower accent

Burlap ribbon

Wooden letter

Stamp inks

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

*Optional - wire

Make 30 Christmas Cards for $30!

Make 30 Christmas Cards for $30!

Christmas Card Workshop on Sunday, December 1st from 2-5pm at our HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts stores.

Learn card making techniques on stamping and embellishing. Workshop includes supplies to make 30 cards & envelopes. Make 5 different card designs (6 cards of each design). Please feel free to bring your own paper crafting tools. Space is limited.

Sign-up today at our Mapunapuna Ben Franklin Store.

 

Happy Crafting! Beth @ Mapunapuna BFC

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 317 - Turkey Favor Bag

Want to give a special treat to your guests on Thanksgiving? JFlo shows you how to make up these cute bags.

Dress-up a gift bag for Thanksgiving!

Catch our segment here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 317 - Turkey Favor Bag

Supplies:

Cardstock

Ribbons

Googly eyes

Small handle bag

Scissors

Pencil

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

Use felt instead of paper to turn this embellishment into a decoration to put on a t-shirt or cloth bag.

Christmas Gift Giving -Clear Petri Dishes

Need a small container for gift giving this Holiday Season?! Check out our clear Petri Dishes!! 

Supplies:

Clear Petri Dish containers

Scrapbooking papers

Quick Dry Tacky Glue

Embellishments

Spray paint and Glitter Blast Spray

1. Use Spray Paint or paper to cover the entire container. We used spray paint and then sprayed Glitter Blast on top!

2. Cut out pieces of paper and glue them  into any design you would like (Santa, Reindeer, Elf, Snowman, Holly, Poinsettia, Snow Flakes) If you need some inspiration, pick up a coloring book and cut out pieces from different colored paper. 

  

3.  Add Googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom poms, bells, glitter and ribbon. Then fill it with Homemade (Or even store bought) candy, cookies, fudge, fruitcake, mochi…. Almost anything!!

Thanks for looking and CRAFT ON!!!!
~ Deborah @ Market City

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 316 - Golden Leaves Wreath

We're kicking off a special Fall and Thanksgiving week today with Puna, who's here to show you how to make a Golden Leaves Wreath.

Create this golden wreath for the holidays!

Watch our first Thanksgiving craft project here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 316 - Golden Leaves Wreath

Supplies:

Styrofoam wreath

Gold poster board

Glitter paper in accent colors

Pencil

Scissors

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

This wreath can easily be adapted for Christmas with the addition of red and green accents.

*Don't forget to scroll down and ready today's earlier post from Enchanted Lake featuring projects using twine!

I Twine All the Time

You know what I love? TWINE! Yes, twine, because twine is so versatile. You can use it to hang things or string things, or even to cover things. That's what we did today, see?

Yep, we just started carrying this 100 yard spool of twine at our stores. That's a lot of twine! We used it to wrap around these bottles and jars, AND a large ornament, AND had some left over. Do this with twine, it's so easy, and you'll have some lovely decor pieces when you're done.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Inkagold Table Trees

Aloha Crafters,

Todays Idea and Inspiration is a jingly and fuzzy table tree. They're fun, and festive and the whole family can make a tree in their favorite color!

Supplies:

Nani Sparkle Yarn- Grass Green (30071453)

Nani Sparkle Yarn- Pure White (30136383)

Inkagold Paint- Emerald (30142962)

7" Paper Mache Cone (30121472)

10" Paper Mache Cone (30109045)

3/8" Gold Jingle Bells (30086411)

1/2" Mutli Colored Jingle Bells (30086413)

Sponge Brushes 

Hot Glue

Optional instead of inkagold

Ceramcoat- White (77624882)

Delta Acrylic- Holiday Green (30098130)

1. Sponge paper mache cone with Inkagold paint.

2. Wrap yarn around cone.

3. Glue on jingle bells, and you're done!

Happy Crafting!

Lani @ Kahului

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 315 - Christmas Yarn Wreath

This last decor piece is a sure to please both your aesthetics and your budget. Bora walks us through making a radiant wreath.

Christmas Yarn Wreath

Watch our episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 315 - Christmas Yarn Wreath

Supplies:

Styrofoam wreath

Yarn

Scrap paper

Rhinestones or buttons

Circle punch

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

This wreath makes such a classy statement hung on the front door or railing.

Glitter-it Grinch Ornament

I have become Glitter-it crazy. There are so many different ways to use this product. I have been decorating ornaments with the Glitter-it. The newest one is the Grinch ornament.

Supply list:

Glitter-it glue

Vintage & Sparkle Glitter - Hollywood Hills

Black- Scribbles paint

Yellow Decocolor Paint Markers Nani yarn Happy Crafting! Beth @ Mapunapuna BFC

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 314 - Ombre Frame

JFlo is here today to show us how to jump on the trendy ombre train by making this darling frame.

Create an Ombre Frame for your favorite photo! Makes a great gift!

Watch our episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 314 - Ombre Frame

Supplies:

Balsa wood plank

Acrylic paint

Frame

Paint brush

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

An ombre frame would make a super special, handmade Christmas gift for those trendsetters on your list.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 313 - Iced Peppermint Frame

Lisa is back just in time to help us kick off our "Even More Christmas Decor" week. Join her today to make a super sweet frame.

Iced Peppermint Frame

Watch our festive episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 313 - Iced Peppermint Frame

Supplies:

Bare wood frame

Acrylic paint in white and red

Mod podge

Diamond dust

Paint brush

Frame that sweet picture with this sweet frame and everyone is sure to be envious.

*Don't forget to check out our earlier post from today - Awesome ornaments from HouseMart BFC Enchanted Lake! 

Clearly Awesome Ornaments

Sometimes I think that an empty, clear ornament can be as daunting as a blank white page. It seems like there are a lot of people who are at a loss as to how exactly to decorate an ornament, often because there are so many options to choose from, or because making an ornament can seem way too complicated. The funny thing is that my most favorite ornaments I've made this season are also the simplest and easiest ones I've ever done. Check it out:

 

Here's a super cute, whimsical ornament decorated simply by scribbling polka-dots onto it using a DecoColor pen. I absolutely love this fun ornament.

The next ornament is a bit classier, but definitely not any harder to make. I used a copper metallic marker from Letraset to swirl it out, and I didn't even bother trying to make the swirls evenly spaced or the same size.

And last, here is a sparkly, wintry ornament made by covering the inside of the ball with Glitter-It glue from Beacon, and then sprinkling in Twinkle Flakes until the entire interior is covered. It looks a lot like glass with frost crystals on it.

See? No painting or sculpting involved in making these wonderful Christmas crafts. Just how I like it!

Thanks for stopping in,
Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Merry Mason Jars

Aloha Crafters,

Today's Idea & Inspiration is our Merry Mason Jars. This festive and glittery focal accent was a joy to make. 

Supplies:

14 Pint sized Mason Jars (62295)

Kelly Green Glitter (7756600)

Silver Glitter (77565986)

Glitter It (30121824)

Thickers "Leaf" (30140240)

Silver Snowflakes (30097157)

Holly Circle 12X12 Paper (30146499)

Elf Magic Chorous 12X12 Paper (30145576)

Nutcracker 12X12 Paper (30146504)

Frosty Ave 12X12 Paper (30146500)

Joyous Foundation 12X12 Paper (30145083)

Double Stick Tape

Hot Glue

1. Glitter your mason jars with Glitter It.

2. Cut your paper to 2.5" strips.  Adhere with double stick tape to mason jars.

3. Create lables for center of snowflake and adhere letters on.

4. Hot glue snowflakes onto jar.

5. Add picks, sprays, and flowers for garnish, and you're done!

Enjoy your new focal piece for the holidays!

Happy Crafting!

Lani @ Kahului

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 312 - Ornament Gift Box

Package ornaments for an Ornament Exchange for family and friends! JFlo shows you an easy way to wrap things up.

Wrap ornaments up for an Ornament Exchange!

View our episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 312 - Ornament Gift Box

Supplies:

Cylinder gift box (white coated with paper)

drawer pull

awl

paint (we used Glossies enamel paint)

paintbrush

tissue paper 

gift tag

Holiday Keiki Crafts

I had so much fun making holiday crafts with felt, googly eyes, and so much more. Christmas tree, holiday penguin, gingerbread man, and Christmas stocking is some of the ways to use felt. Some other ideas were reindeer, snowflake, and Santa Claus. Those are definitely on my list to add to the other felt crafts. It's also a great way to make items for the Christmas tree.

Some of the craft items I used included:
Felt
Googly eyes
Stickles
Baker's twine
Pom Poms
Ribbon
Poly-fil
Fabric-tac to glue all the pieces together

Happy Crafting! Beth @ Mapunapuna

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 311 - Open Face Snowy Bird Ornament

This adorable ornament features an opening great for a little bird and accented with Snow-tex.

Open Face Snowy Bird Ornament

Catch this episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 311 - Open Face Snowy Bird Ornament 

Supplies:

Ornament 

Snow-tex

Moss

Twinkle flakes

Bird

Hot glue gun

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 310 - Open Face Teardrop Ornament

Have an ornament exchange coming up that you need ideas for. JFlo is here to rescue you.

Embellish ornaments with Stickles, Scribbles, & Diamond Dust!

View our next ornament episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 310 - Open Face Teardrop Ornament 

Supplies:

Glass teardrop ornament

Brown scribbles

Red stickles

Diamond dust

*Optional - snow, birds, flowers, or branches to fill ornament

Wrap this ornament up in a festive box, and you're all set to be the hit of your exchange.

Molds and UV Resin

Create cute and fun pins or pendants using Martha Stewart Molds, Glitter and UV Resin!

Supplies:
UV Resin
UV Light
Martha Stewart Molds
Fine Glitter
Pin Backs or Bails
E6000 Glue

Begin by pouring a thin layer of resin into the mold, place under the UV light for a few minutes and then do another thin layer but this time add the glitter! But under the UV light for a few more minutes and complete by giving it one more layer of resin. After you have let it sit under the UV light, pop it out of the mold. Sometimes when it pops out of the mold, the front looks a little foggy. If this happens, don't fear! Just use a brush and brush on a THIN layer of resin on the foggy area and it will shine right up! Add your pin back or bail (to make a pendant) using E6000 glue.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 309 - Open Face Snow Globe Ornament

Watch how JFlo turns this glass ornament into a “Snow Globe” ornament.  This is great for an ornament exchange.

Make your own snow globe ornaments!

Watch our episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 309 - Open Face Snow Globe Ornament

Supplies:

Ornament 

Figurine

Mirror 

E6000 glue

Twinkle flakes or glitter 

Stay tuned this week for more glass ornament ideas!

Cute and Colorful Floss Bracelets.

Aloha Crafters,

Today’s Idea and Inspiration, I will be sharing with you how to make cute and colorful floss wrapped charm bangles. They’re super easy, fun and anyone can do it.

Supplies:

DMC embroidery floss in your colors of choice.

5MM jump rings (30102572)

Memory wire bracelet (30061087)                                                               

Tea party charms (30142787) (or your charms of choice)

22G silver wire (30085091)

E6000

Wire cutters

Needle nose pliers

To begin, let’s start by cutting our memory wire. For this bangle I cut 3 wraps of wire. When that’s done, let’s form our bangle and wire wrap the ends together. You can add a bit of glue for a little more security. Once we have our bangle shaped, and our ends wrapped, we can start with our floss. Start by picking a spot to begin, and add a little glue and start wrapping your bangle. In the beginning make sure that you are wrapping tight over the glue so nothing falls apart. Keep wrapping until you have just a little bit left to wrap. Add a little more glue and wrap tightly to finish our wrapping. Next, add your charms and your jump rings to the bracelet and you’re done!

Now you have a colorful set of bracelets that you can wear, or even give as a gift!

Happy Crafting!

Lani @ Kahului

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 308 - Woodsy Tree

Last, but not least, we have a wooden Christmas tree made up of three different sizes of popsicle sticks.

Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees

See the steps to make this project on our YouTube channel: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 308 - Woodsy Tree

Supplies:

Jumbo popsicle sticks

Regular popsicle sticks

Craft picks

Styrofoam cone

Wooden block or knob

Scissors

Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

*optional - acrylic paint*

Using a high-temperature glue gun for this project creates a more durable bond and allows you extra time to get your pieces placed exactly where you want them.