New Year Countdown Board

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas!

Can't believe how fast this year has flown by.  Now it's time to start getting ready for the New Year!  For those of you who love to have New Year's Eve parties, I have a great project that makes a great conversation starter for all your friends and family!

All you need are a few items...

 

1. Black, Gold, Grey and White Cardstock

2. Double-stick tape

3. Paper Cutter

4. We-R-Memory Envelope Punchboard

5. Metallic Gold, White and Black stamp pad

6. Black 0.5 Micron Pen

7. White Gelly Roll Pen

8. Gold Montana Acrylic Paint Pen

9. Washi Tape
10. Black or White Mounting or Illustration Board

 

  

It looks like a long list, but trust me!  There isn't much work involved!

Your punch board, which I highly recommend purchasing if you do not already own one, will be doing most of the hard work.  You will just be using your creativity!

First, cut a 6x6 inch square out of your cardstock and use the instructions on your punch board to cut out a template for a 3x5 inch envelope.  I chose cardstocks in different colors, textures and patterns for variety. 

 

 Keep that in mind when choosing the cards going into the
envelopes as well!  A conversation starter about the past year such as "Favorite Song?" and "Favorite Holiday Memory?" will be on each card.  This means that each envelope is going to be put on the board in a "portrait format".  Because they are going to be pockets, tape only the two longer sides and one short side down.  Cut off the other short flap.  This is where the card will slip in.  (After putting the envelopes together, you can distress the sides with a stamp pad to give it a vintage look.)

 

Each pocket is going to represent each hour leading down to midnight starting at 6:00 pm.  You can decorate the front of the pockets with washi tape and baker's twine, then write an hour on each envelope.  If you want, you can punch out shapes and write the times on these pieces before sticking them onto your pockets.   Go nuts and mix techniques!

 

 

 I punched out a 4 x 6 inch envelope out of some festive gold and white chevron paper to mark the New Year!  In here, I put a card that read "New Years Resolutions?"
That would probably be the best way to start the New Year, other than some champagne and maybe a kiss from that special someone.  (Or maybe your dog.  Puppy kisses work too.)
Whatever you choose to do with your loved ones, we at the Pearl City Ben Franklin would like to wish you a Safe, Prosperous and Happy New Year!

Cheers!
Erika @ PC

Bow-Making Made Easy!

Hi guys! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that Santa brought you everything on your list! For those of us procrastinators who are doing our gift exchange a bit later, here's a great bow making solution that will save you so much time, while keeping your gift wrapping skills impressive. 

All I did was use the Bow-Dabara and some wired holiday ribbon about an inch wide!

First thing you'll want to do is cut a thin ribbon that will be what you use to tie your bow together. I used 8 inches of very thin white satin ribbon. Insert this piece in-between the two plastic panels that stand up from the Bow-Dabara board.

For this next part, I'll leave my decorative wired ribbon of choice still attached to the spool as I weave it back and forth. The length you weave on each side will determine how big your bow will be. The bigger the loop, the bigger the bow!

When you begin to weave your ribbon, make sure you twist it once before pushing it down to the board. So the motion will look like: out, in, twist, push down. Repeat this technique back and forth on each side of the Bow-Dabara as if you're making infinity symbols. When you have about four or five loops on each side, you're all done!

At this point pull up the skinny ribbon from the board and tie a knot tightly around the mid section of your bow.

So good! All you need to do is fluff the loops and cut the tail! The Bow-Dabara is great in a pinch. A perfect bow every time!

Bethany @Enchanted Lake

Have a Happy New Year everyone! 

Gifts in a Jar

Time is running out and it's time to start scrambling for last minute gifts!

Don't know what to get for a co-worker's child?  Maybe for your friend's little sister?

Can't think of little presents to give to all the guests at your Christmas celebration?

I have just the ideas you need for all of your last-minute gifts and favors!

 

 

The solution?  GIFTS IN A JAR!

These are simple to make and you can put anything in them!  Not to mention, the container is pretty cute and useful, so that won't go to waste like a flimsy gift box.

I have three examples of what you can do.  For the first jar, which was just a small 4 oz. jelly jar, I punched gift tags out of different colors of cardstock, pre-decorated a few of them and included doodle twine in a variety of colors as well.

 

 

I had younger children in mind for the next jar.  I chose a 16 oz. jar to old larger items because I wanted to include pipe cleaners of different colors and large, fluffy pom poms.  Add in some colorful yarn, feathers and googly eyes and you've got a kit to make your own little monsters!  You can even pre-make a critter for inspiration if you'd like.  All they need is adult supervision and a glue gun, or some really strong kid-safe glue like

 

The next one is for those fairy garden lovers out there!  I pretty much just included a bunch of random wooden pieces such as spools, tiny knobs and candlestick holders and a few natural textures like rocks, small pinecones and moss.  A small plant like this cute soft green succulent would also be a great accent and would add a lot of height to the fairy garden.  Also, some jute cord and a wooden or kraft paper tag would be a great touch for the outside of the jar.  Don't forget your little fairy!  Here, I included a small Christmas fairy.  How cute is she?

 



 

There you have it!  The possibilities are endless!  You could have a snowman kit with large white pom poms, clay carrot noses, black beads and brown pipe cleaners!  How about a New Year's celebration kit with supplies to make a paper hat that says 2017?  It could even include a small container of confetti and a noisemaker!  Whatever you make, don't forget to include holiday spirit!

 

Have fun!

Erika @ PC

Holiday Wood Designs

 

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone out there is having fun getting their Christmas craft on! I'm really enjoying painting fresh new home decor and digging into card making and cookie baking. So many favorite things. Here are a few samples of some pretty wood decor pieces I decorated. My favorite thing about these is that the shapes are cute, pre-cut, and that the wood surface allows you to do almost anything to it! So many possibilities!

 

 

 

Supplies:

wooden word or Santa or ornament shape

acrylic paint (dark green, green, dark burgundy, red, ivory, white, tan) 

bristle brush

1/2 inch wide nylon brush w/flat end

jute/twine

hot glue gun/glue sticks

buttons 

First, paint the front of every other letter with a very dark green. Use a brush that will give you even and smooth coverage. This will be your base coat for the distressed and rustic look. Let the letters dry for 20 minutes, and paint diagonal stripes on your remaining letters using your 1/2 flat tipped nylon brush and Ivory acrylic paint. I like to use this brush for stripes because if I hold it at an angle, it is exactly the direction and width of the stripes I want to make. Wait about 10 minutes for the stripes to dry before painting the red stripes. After this next layer is dry to the touch, take your bristle brush, light red and lighter green, and "feather" light strokes over the painted areas. The idea is to keep your back and forth strokes in a horizontal movement and to not coat too thickly so that you can see the layer underneath peeking through.

 

 

 

Hot glue jute and buttons on to your letters as textural elements! They just add to that rustic charm.

 

 

Ben Franklin is carrying a few other cute holiday sets as well, including the word "Home" and a Santa face and ornament shaped photo stand. 

 

 You can use Mod Podge and sheets of patterned card stock paper to  cover larger flat areas, and then cut out with an X-acto blade. Even layer some textured/gritty Snow Tex on there to create realistic looking snow. Dry time would be about an hour or so depending on how thickly the Snow Tex was applied. E6000 glue can be used to put all the Santa pieces together. Ta Da!

Cute home decor!

 

Bethany @Enchanted Lake

Happy Crafting!

Simple Nativity Scene

12 days 'till Christmas already?!   WHAAAAT?

Yup, that's right! I hope everyone's holiday season isn't too crazy!

How's that holiday shopping? It seems to get harder and harder every year.

For those of you looking for an easy-peasy piece of holiday décor that would also

be great as a gift for a church-goer or who likes the sacredness of the Christmas season,

I have a beautiful and elegant wooden nativity scene!

All you need are a few salvaged items from your basic crafts pantry.

 

 

Supplies Needed

Jumbo Popsicle Sticks

Wooden Figures

Raffia

Jute Cord

White Felt

Wooden Bead

Rolled Paper Floral Wire

Snowflake or Star

Shell (optional)

Brown Stamp Pad (optional)

 

First, distress your popsicle sticks with a brown stamp pad.  It's really up to your personal style.  I wanted to give this a primitive and antique feel, but you can leave it plain if you'd like.  Second, hot glue all your sticks into a triangle form.  I made sure to make one flat so that it could stand on its own when not on a Christmas tree.  Next, I cut out a semi-circle piece of white felt for Mary's veil, then hot-glued the curve to the crown of her head.  I then cut a piece of the rolled paper wire for Joseph's can and curved the top to create a small cane.   For Baby Jesus, I cut a small piece of felt and wrapped it around a small wooden bead.  I hot-glued the little bundle into a tiny shell.  

 

After the Mary and Joseph figures were hot-glued onto the floor of the stable, I hot-glued a couple pieces of raffia on either side of the couple and then placed Baby Jesus at the very center.  To finish it up, I glued a "North Star" (snowflake) at the apex of the stable roof and then glued a piece of jute rope onto the back for hanging on a tree.

 

There you have it!  A cute little nativity that although primitive,

makes a great and meaningful gift. 

 

See you next week!

Erika @ PC



Let It Snow Ornament

Happy Christmas season, everyone! 
Today's project is a DIY "unbreakable ornament" for your tree!

All you need are these few things:

Unbreakable plastic ornament
Tiny tree
E6000 Glue
Snow Tex
Powdered Snow
Decocolor medium size Oil based Pen 
brush or plastic butter-knife


First, take your E6000 glue and adhere the tree to the inside of the lid of your ornament. The total cure time is one day, but to the touch the glue will be secure in 30 mins to an hour.

Then with a brush/plastic butter-knife, scoop out some Snow Tex into the bristles of your tiny tree. It is like a thick gritty paste, so don't be afraid to pile it on and make it thick! Total dry time is close to an hour, depending on thickly it is applied.

As your snow is drying, write a message on the outside of your plastic ornament!
This oil based paint pen is great for writing on slick surfaces like glass and plastic, I highly recommend them! The medium sized one in black is what I used to write "LET IT SNOW" on the front of my ornament. Write in smooth and even stokes, as if using a regular marker. Dry time for the writing is roughly 10 minutes to the touch.

Once the glue under the tree is dry to the touch, add in the loose powdered snow around the tree and screw the lid back on the ornament. And ta da!!!

Super cute and super easy!

Bethany @Enchanted Lake 

Pinecone Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas tree...

How lovely are thy branches...

A tree always kicks off the Christmas season for my family!  It really doesn't feel

like the holidays until we bring a nice 6 foot tree home and shake out it's branches, its

refreshingly sharp smell wafting through the house...

If you want to bring a little of that feeling Christmas cheer to work, I have one craft that is simple,

festive and downright ADORABLE.



 

Mini Pinecone Christmas tree! 

All you need are a few items.

 

1. Pinecone

2. Green Acrylic Paint

3. Pom Poms

4. Firefly lights

5. Mini Terracotta Pot

 

First, Paint your pinecone!  I chose a traditional Christmas green, but you can mix up the colors if you'd like.  You can even leave it as is for a nice neutral and rustic palette.  White pompoms or Snow Tex would be great for trimming it.  Or why not try a cutesy pastel palette?  Maybe an ice blue tree with iridescent twinkle flakes and pink pompoms? 

 

Second: Glue your mini pompoms onto your pinecone after it's fully dry.  Then, take your firefly lights and wrap them around you tree starting from the top.  Because I had chosen the 10 bulb firefly lights, I was able to hide its small battery pack inside the Terracotta pot, which I placed the pinecone "tree" onto for a base.  You can go ahead and paint the pot as well! 

 

And that's all she wrote!

This is a great activity for kids as well, so don't pass up the chance to make some great holiday memories.  Have fun!

Erika @ PC

 

 

 

 

 

Wooden Tree Shadow Box! Hello Christmas!

Hey Everyone, today's project is so adorable! I really had fun putting it together, and it's such a great way to customize a holiday stacking display box to the theme of your home this year!

 Supplies:

4 sheets of card stock with patterns and solids that all match each other in style (I used a solid olive green, a red pinstripe, a red holiday text, a Christmas tree print, and a green and white polka dot print) the plus side is that a lot of patterned card stock is double sided, so one sheet can act as two!

scissors
hot glue gun/glue sticks
matte Mod Podge
E6000 clear glue
1/2" nylon brush
small round nylon brush for fine details
cup of water
acrylic paint in the colors black, white, lime sorbet, dark cherry
3 teir raw wood tree shapes (sold as a set)
wood car
package of tiny wreaths
small trimmings of faux pine branches
one tiny cardinal
package of tiny glitter light bulbs
8 in of string or baker's twine
2 eye screws
dimensional pop-up dots
white fine tip paint pen

First take your 1" nylon brush, Mod Podge, and selected card stock paper, and apply a generous but even coating on the side of the wood. Then smooth out card stock over the side. Wait 5 minutes to dry a bit, then carefully cut off the excess paper around the edges. Repeat for all sides of the top middle and bottom tier. ( I didn't do the back or the underneath.)

 
After cleaning your brush in the cup of water, paint the insides of the tree.
I used white for the inside back panel of all the tiers. 

For the middle tier, I mixed black and white to make grey, and used that for the side panels on the inside. I used the dark cherry for the front facing rim. 

For the bottom tier I painted all the side panels olive green, while leaving the back panel empty, and painting the front facing rim white.

Then after letting everything sit to dry separately for 5-10 minutes, I began working on painting the car. I used lime sorbet for the sides, black for the tires, grey for the front, and white for the roof. Now the best part about the fine white lines on this car is that I used a paint pen! So much faster and easier than using a brush. I just drew lines around the windows, on the hood, and on the tires! And then for the finishing touch, I used E6000 glue to adhere the wreath on the front of the car!

For the inside of the bottom tier, I used the Mod Podge again to glue the pretty tree card stock to the back panel.

After the paint is completely dry in the middle tier, take your optional patterned card stock and layer pop-up dots on the back. This will make the square look like it's floating out and fill up some of the space. It will act as a back drop for your ornaments.

 

I used 3 ornaments and tied a knot in my string about 1 inch apart from one another so that they don't move around. Then I used the 2 eye screws, put them in the sides of the middle tier, and tied the string to them!

 

 On the bottom of the middle section I also used that same fancy paint pen to write out merry and bright! It's optional, but I thought the empty space was big enough to be able to fit some kind of word or saying.

The top tier was the easiest! After the white paint was completely dry, I glued my sprigs of greenery in there with the hot glue gun. Then I simply glued the red cardinal to one of the branches, and ta da! So darn adorable!

Happy Crafting and have a great holiday season!

Bethany @ Enchanted Lake  

NFL Ornaments

If your Thanksgiving traditions include some good ol' American Football,

then this the perfect project for you!  Because for the Super Fan, the

craze is year-round.  You collect every single piece of merchandise that sports

your team's logo.  Posters up in your room, multiple jerseys and maybe even a

few pairs of team pajamas.  Also, does your dog or cat have their own little jersey?

 If you are this person, or know someone who lives like this, then

this is the perfect craft for them!  Not to mention an AWESOME gift!

 

NFL ORNAMENTS!

 

 

You only need a few things...

 

Glitter-It

Glitter (Fine or Coarse)

Funnel (not pictured)

2 inch Ornament balls

Deco Color pens

Ribbon (optional)

 

 

Using the glue is very simple!  All you need to do is take the metal top off, squirt about a tablespoon of the glue into the ornament and swirl it around.  Make sure you get all those pesky dry spots so that the glitter covers the entire thing.  Don't forget the areas just around the opening!  If there is any excess, you can pour it into the next ornament or back into the bottle.

 

Next, pour your choice of glitter in.  If you want to do more than one color, you're going to pour the color you want on the bottom FIRST.  For example, I made a Denver Broncos ornament and used the royal blue glitter at the bottom and orange glitter on top.  Using a funnel, I poured about two tablespoons of glitter in.  It helps to pour LESS than what you think you'll need.  You can always add more.  Next, I added the orange.  Just slowly turn the ornament ball and let the glitter roll and spread. Don't roll it too fast, otherwise your glitter will clump. 

 

After your entire ornament has been glittered, return the metal top to its proper place and finish it off with a cute (matching) bow!  (Optional, of course, but it adds a nice touch.)  You can hand-letter your team's name onto your ornament using an oil-based marker like the DecoColor paint pen I used here.  You definitely want it to be oil-based because acrylic-based markers will just scratch off.  Ain't nobody got time fo' THAT.

 

And that's all she wrote!

I'm sure that football fan in your life will love this.  Hey, if they already

have a team Christmas tree planned this year, it would be nice to see something handmade

amongst all those licensed products, wouldn't it? 

Handmade things are made with love!

 

Have fun!

Erika @ PC



Magical Rose Decor

Can we talk about the new Beauty and the Beast trailer that just came out??

I am so excited.  Can't wait!  

For all you Beauty and the Beast fans and straight up "Disnerds" out there

looking for the perfect project to keep you busy during the long wait or just

to spruce up your home with a little magic, this is the one for you!

It's fun and it will definitely be a conversation starter and will definitely make

a perfect gift for the holidays.

 

Supplies Needed

Glass Dome

Silk Rose(s)

Floral Cutters

Suji Cord

Clear Tape

Glue Dots

Firefly Lights

First, cut the rose to the length you want.  Remember, it needs to be short enough to be suspended in the dome.  Make sure it is at least two inches shorter than the height of the dome.

Second, cut a short length of suji cord and attach to the larger petals toward the underside of the rose using a glue dot.  Pinch the glue dot and one end of the suji between two large petals.

Next, tape the other end of the cord to the top of the dome.  

If you have a few stray rose petals or another rose on hand, cut a couple of petals off of it and put it on the base.

After that, put the dome back onto its wooden base, curl some firefly 

lights around your rose and Voila! 

   

I hope everyone has a wonderful time making these!

We want to see how your magical roses turn out.  Post your photos

on Instagram and use the tag #bfcrafts!

Erika @ PC

Pocket Winter Wonderland

    Hello again, fellow Crafters! This week, I have an adorable little project that

can capture the beauty of the Christmas landscape into a cute little box.
This is a great activity for kids and make a great gift for fairy garden and miniatures
lovers alike!

 

All you need for this project are:

 

1. Small Wooden or Paper Mache Box

2. Mini Christmas Trees

3. White Air-dry clay

4. Moss

5. Paint (I used Delta Americana)

6. Snow-Tex & Twinkle Flakes

7. Your Imagination!

 

For those of you who have made fairy gardens before, this is basically the same concept.

Anything goes!  Picture the scene you want, start with the inside coat of paint and then start

gluing your pieces of landscape in!  Here, I pictured a winter scene taking inspiration from the scenery in Rankin Bass' Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.

Be creative and have fun!

 

See you next week!

Erika @ PC



Minimal Fall Garland

Well, it's almost the end of October, and it honestly makes me feel so sad!

The Autumn season is fleeting!  It's time to make the best of it.

We've got one more month to go, so it's never too late to put up some fall décor.

The project I have today is very minimalist and requires only a few supplies. 

Don't fret!  It's simple quality is what makes it ADORABLE.  Also, it's great for kids!

Although, because this requires basic sewing skills, close supervision might be needed for younger children under 7. 

Let's get started!

 

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Supplies Needed

Felt in Autumn Colors

Embroidery Floss in Autumn Colors

Embroidery needles

Scissors

Yarn or Jute Twine

Permanent Marker (optional)

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First, cut out leaf shapes from your pieces of felt!  I chose orange, olive green, golden yellow, maroon and brown.  The simpler your leaf shape, the better.  You can use a marker to draw your

leaves first as well.

 

 

Second, use the embroidery floss to sew on some veins.  I have a step-by-step-process pictured below.  Basically, you want to work your way up from the bottom of your lead and sew the veins from the sides to the middle.

After the veins, go ahead and cut out some letters if you'd like.  I cut out the word "FALL", but other words like "GIVE THANKS" or "AUTUMN" would be really cute as well!  You can use any color, but for this garland, I chose black so that the word stands out from the leaves.

 

 

After that, hot glue your leaves and letters onto some yarn or jute twine and hang it up! 

Now you can enjoy the beauty of autumn leaves in your home.  For us in Hawaii,

(who can only see the leaves change color on dying mango trees) this would be a great

garland to make and put up year after year.

 

Have fun!

Erika @ PC

 



Halloween Photo Booth Frame

If you haven't started planning your Halloween party yet, it's time to get started!

Today, I have a fun and easy project that's sure to please friends and family of all ages.

This generation seems to be all about instant photos again.  Polaroids have made a comeback in

a BIG way, the technology being even more popularized by Fujifilm's Instax camera series. 

Photo booths are also a big thing!  I've seen them at many holiday parties, complete with props.

What better souvenir to take home from a party than a photo?  Frozen memories, right?

Here, I have a fun prop that can be made using very basic techniques and

only a few supplies.

 

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This takes the humble foam board and makes it into something special and memorable!

The only supplies I used to color it was acrylic paint in Halloween colors, a white acrylic paint marker and some washi tape.  The banner within the frame is made out of cardstock and tulle and hung on a piece of baker's twine.

 

I first cut out the inside of the board using an X-acto knife.  The opening is about 16x22" and there is a two-inch margin on the top, left and right side of the opening as well as a 6 inch border on the bottom.  I used the iconic look of the Instax photos because the dimensions of the foam board was perfect for it.  Plus, the extra space at the bottom left room for more decoration and messages!

 

I chose a basic black as the base color of the frame and then distressed it with some Bittersweet orange Ceramcoat acrylic paint using a dry bristle brush.  After that was dry, I stuck a few pieces of cute spider washi tape in a few areas and then doodled and wrote my message on it using a Deco-color acrylic paint marker. 

 

I cut a basic pennant shape out of some Halloween cardstock and used Ceramcoat's Passion purple to paint on the letters.  Some black and apple green glitter tulle was used to add a little more texture to the banner.  After stringing everything onto some baker's twine, I hot-glued the ends to the back of the frame and let it bow into the opening a little. 

 



 

And now it's done! 

This is such an awesome activity to have at and holiday party and I highly

recommend it.  Have fun and see you all next week!

 

Erika @ PC

Spooky Snail Mail

What is UP my crafty peeps?

We've had a bunch of new Halloween scrapbooking collections, all from the best names in the business!  American Crafts, Doodlebug, Bella Blvd. and Pebbles have some fantastic and adorable designs for all of your creepy crafting needs.  I had a lot of fun creating a board of a bunch of different ways you can mix and match Doodlebug's collection, Boos & Brews, specifically.

What's better than customized and colorful snail mail?  This activity has been gaining popularity again, including special items like watercolored postcards and "pocket letters".  What better way to send some love to family and friends during the holidays?

 

Here are a few examples of what you can make with this collection!  It's very colorful and bright, with a cutesy Mad Scientist and Haunted House theme on each paper design.  There are also a few sheets that have strips of sayings or cards that you can cut out if you don't want to use the full design on the other side of the sheet. (Yay for double-sided paper!)

 

 

Potion bottles, rainbow curlicues, strips of stars, moons, spiders and fun-colored eyes are among the many designs available!  So much fun to mix-and-match!

Here is a mix of ephemera that are available in Doodlebug's "Odds & Ends" Ephemera pack.
You can't handle the cute!  This is less than half of the pieces that are included.  Such a deal!
And who doesn't love WASHI TAPE?  Here are the four Halloween designs they have.  The spider one is what I used on ALL of the pieces in the first photo!  So adorable!

 

So, get your creative juices flowing and let loose!  Don't be afraid to mix designs and media.  That's the beauty of the collection.  Everything's so fun and colorful that you can't go wrong with whatever combination you make!  Don't forget:  Doodlebug's awesome Baker's Twine!  I grabbed a bright neon green color to add a little more texture to the pieces.  Also, distressing does wonders when you want to tone down the bright colors.  Graze the edges of each component with a brown stamp pad!  This is the effect shown below.  Even though the designs are more on the kiddie/cutesy side, a little bit of old vintage charm can help make it more for the adults!

 

Have fun sending your Spooky snail mail this Halloween.

If you do, we want to see posts on Instagram!  If you've purchased any of our wonderful holiday scrapbook collections and made some amazing mixed media postcards or envelopes and letters, take a photo and please use the tags "#bfcrafts" and "#spookymail!

Can't wait to see what everyone conjures up!

 

See you next week!

Erika @ PC