Wired for Display

 Craft away!

Craft a Wire Picture Stand

  These Great Stands are made

 using 9 gauge, coated bottom wire for chain link fencing.
 Use of pliers are required to bend wire.

* Pictures *Cards * Recipes
 *Lists *Note Holders.


Coat hanger wire will work but a heavier wire is preferred.
Use a coated wire hanger for a finished look.
OR try spray painting the wire for an awesome effects.
 Spray after forming the stand to avoid scraping off paint with pliers.

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 For the added adornments

 you are limited by the diameter of the wire. 

The hole in the adornment must be big enough to fit over the wire.

Above I fed on beads and jewel baubles.

I created paper beads to thread on which were coupled with plastic beads

in the knotted and looped stands above and below.

The stands are all created with a single length of wire.

Create your own Card for the stand HERE  

Potato Stamp Card

 Wire used in Jewel Display. Check it out HERE

Make your own Greeting Cards

  The gift of greeting agrees with me.

The enjoyable experience of crafting and posting a greeting cards
 is only compounded by the recipients joy of the experience.

Greeting Cards are in season every season.  

A reason is not required.

Through the love of another we are inspired

to share the words that transpire

on the greeting card of your hearts desire.

 

DIY CRAFTs

I have been crafting and selling Greeting Cards for over 30 years. 

                              The production of same has been a great source of pleasure for me. 

                             

                    HANDMADE CARDS PROVIDE THE SPACE
                                                         FOR CREATIVE FREEDOM TO ROAM

       

Craft Blog  DIY Cards

 The brown corrugated cardboard above left on the card was rescued and recycled from a box of biscuits.
 The black corrugated card was taken from a box of chocolates.The gift tag with coin, is a sticker that I mounted on foam core before gluing into place. The ribbon was saved from a satchel of sorts, somewhere along the way and glued on top.The writing is done with fabric paint that comes in fine tip bottles.

             Keep it simple. Limit the writing on the front of each card. Personalize to perfection.

Greeting Card DIY

#1Gold corrugated cardboard.#2.Pink and yellow Dollar Store card/scrapbook accessory. #3. Buttons and Feather. #4. Wire bangle.
                                    
                                                Work to a finished card - one layer at a time.

Greeting Card @ Lillian the Domestic Engineer

#1. White paper square. #2. White corrugated cardboard. #3. Red parcel Dollar Store item,
#4 Fabric paint writing and parcel tree glitter.

Greeting Card DIY Craft

#1.Sketch out your thoughts lightly in pencil.  #2. Detail outline in fine black pen. I used a water soluble ink so I could smear it slightly with a wet fingertip. I did the writing with a black fine tip sharpie. I did not want it to smear.. #3. Pink crayon.

Simple can be super too.
Sometimes a little humor is necessary.

Simple black and white with a touch of Gold Metallic Foil.


Paint between the lines.
The following two cards are painted on a water color paper.

Best Craft Blog -Cards

 Greeting Card- Water Color

Using strips of masking tape, create a border shape to paint within.
Make sure the tape is pressed firmly against the paper to avoid having the paint bleed under the tape edges.
Once the paint has dried carefully remove the tape. Don't forget to sign your original artwork.

Stamping it out. HERE
 One potato - two potato

Lillian the Domestic Engineer.Blogspot.ca

Life is a great bundle of little things.

Create your own Potato stamp and stamp away.

Make Greeting Cards

Embossing Tinsel is a simple, effective way of bringing a degree of shine and professionalism to your card.
Sprinkle tinsel onto wet stamp print and set with a warm iron. Click above on Stamping it out for details.

Recycle.  Recycle.  Recycle.

Make use of the marvelous 

Make your own Greeting Cards

                                                                Think inside the box.
The following three Cards are created using the marvelous selection of papers and prints from old greeting cards. The bits and bows were all dug out of the drawer where I keep the little, shiny things that hold the promise of commitment to card.

                                                          Put your Heart into it!

                              Give it a Gift Tag

           Pretty pastels pieces of paper, pinking shears and gift tags help turn the simple into the superb.
          Fabric paint finalizes the thought behind the project.


    Pop it up a bit....


Although pop up cards do require some fore thought and a little more work,
 I am always thrilled with the results

More Cards HERE

Don't let the blank slate intimidate. Build up your card one layer at a time.

Jewelry Display Frame DIY

I've had this old frame for years.
For a long time it hung near the front door where it was used as a post it place.
Kids photos, artwork and notes were tacked or pinned onto the front of it.

 For as many years and longer, I struggled with a practical way to display the collection of costume jewelry that was amassing in every little box and bowl in my room.
It was always difficult to dig out two of the same earrings to wear for the day so typically I wore
 the same 2-3 pair of earrings day after day.  I would just leave them on the bedside table
instead of stuffing them into one of my jewel boxes or bowls.

For the large part otherwise, I had resolved to be happy with wearing two different earrings.
I don't know who or why the rule was made that insisted the earrings need to be the same but I
did know that the system wasn't working for me.
I was surprised how many people were quick to point out the fact that I was wearing
 two different earrings.

 In an effort to organize my piles one afternoon, I moved the large frame that had been stripped of the photos and notes it once held and delegated to the floor, where it sat for several months, before being motivated to get organized on this particular day prompted me to pick it up.
 It finally occurred to me what a great Jewelry Display the frame would be.
 I set out to transform the frame into a practical, beautiful wall display for my jewelry. Instead of putting it
in the closet, I put it up on my work table.

I began the transformation by hot gluing a framed cork board to the lower front portion of the frame.
It was a perfect fit.
To the front of the cork board, I then hot glued a black piece of screen window mesh that I had laying around. Many years ago I had first used the mesh in the production of funky, fashionable earrings. It would now work perfectly for hanging earrings.
To the top portion of the frame I hot glued a piece of black silk fabric. I had first folded back the edges to avoid any fabric fraying. The Black would serve as a wonderful back drop for the jewels I would pin onto it.

This photo is sideways. The black fabric area is at the top of the frame.
 The cork board is glued below the fabric.

Craft Blog

I then searched through my collection of broken jewel bits, fabric and fringe trim and buttons to find pieces that could be hot glued on, to trim the tiny gap between the cork board and the frames edge
as well as to finish the outer edges of the black silk area .

DIY Jewelry Frame

               The trim at the top of the frame was created
    with a broken string of fake pearls and the three round buttons. 

                                   Both sides of the frame as well as the bottom
                  were covered and filled in with an assortment of buttons and broken jewel bits.

                      A thin broken chain was hot glued to the inside edge of the cork board frame itself.

                            Earrings with a hook can be easily slid into a mesh hole and hung.
                            For earrings with a stud back, it was necessary to be able to lift the mesh
                             to secure the earring backs.
                         

                                                           As seen at bottom here.
                 As it were I found at least a half a dozen Kilt Pins in my treasure collection,
              several of which were used to secure a separate piece of mesh over the first layer of mesh.


                                    This allows me to lift the mesh and secure the earring back.

To top it all off

I used a sewing strait pin to hold this lovely ladies head to the wall. 

It is pinned so that it sits on the lip of  the framed Jewelry display.

 

 I am thrilled with the over all appearance and ecstatic about the practicality of the project.
Now at a glance, I am able to select the piece of jewelry that I chose to adorn myself with.

My jewelry no longer lays lost and forgotten  in containers.
I can now appreciate the beauty of my collection, after all that is why I collect it.


Check out The other things I do for the love of Crafting

Craft you own Crayons

                                 Make your own Crayons

Crayola Craft Lillian the Domestic Engineer

 Chances are very good that if you have children in your home there are also broken Crayola Crayon
 bits laying around waiting for a Sunday afternoon when they may just be found and put to good use.

I have always enjoyed coloring. I remember as a youngster the thrill of getting a new set of Crayola Crayons along with a brand new coloring book at Christmas time. It really was one of my favorite things. 
I liked the thick Coloring Books that came complete with maze puzzles and word finds.
Mixing and blending colors was my favorite pass time but I have always been a color only between the lines
kind of colorer. Lol.

I did not however like to color with a broken crayon. 
That fact remains.


 Here is an easy, enjoyable, functional was to use those old and broken bits of crayons.
 Make your own Crayons

These are a heavy rubber mold meant for making soap but perfect also for crayon creating.
They are flexible which allows for the finished crayon to be easily popped out of the mold.
They are also a nice sized crayon for pint size hands.
 

Make your own Crayon

Make Crayons

Sort bits of crayon by color. Remove all paper from crayons.
 Drop crayon bits into a coffee or soup can and melt on low heat.
Stir occasionally and do not over heat. Wax will create an unpleasant smoke.
 Never leave melting wax unattended.

I mix light colors like yellow, lime green and light blues together to create
original colors.
Shades of red and orange can be blended for a bright sunshine color.

 Once melted the wax is poured directly into the mold.
Leave the crayons in the mold to cool and set for 15 min. or so.
The mold can be carefully placed in a fridge to lessen the setting time.

 Don't worry about over spill.
The hardened crayon can be easily cleaned up around the edges
once it has cooled and been popped from the mold.





Package the home made crayons in a basket with several envelopes and sheets of folded card stock.
Include and a fine tip marker and a tube of glitter paint for a great make your own card gift.
.

Craft Crayons

 Crayons DIY

Craft Blog DIY

 Stack the crayons up in an up cycled tin box and present them with your own personalized Coloring Book

 Make your own Coloring Book HERE

Write On! Make your own Pen Pot.

     GREAT GIFT GIVING

Add these precious Pen Pots to your must make list.
At a cost of less than around $5.00 each I think these Pen Pots are the perfect Craft for all seasons and for everyone on your List.        

Best Craft Blog

Never loose a Pen again, this one is simply too big to just walk away!
PEN POTS

Easy to make, economically priced, easily seasonally adjusted ( simply change the flower in the pot) and kid friendly to create makes these Pen Pots a practical project worth pursuing all year long!  

Craft @ Lillian the Domestic Engineer

 To start. Get the Clay Pot. You don't want a clay pot that is too big to sit on a desk...hmmm unless the desk happens to be ten feet long by four feet wide and requires (perhaps) a bouquet of flowers.

 Use a brush to apply the flat, black, acrylic paint to the pot. You can chose whatever color, shape or design you like. I used the black because I like that the finished effect resembles a chalk board.
After painting the stripes around my pot and allowing it to dry for half an hour, I glued the pot to the base with a hot glue gun.

 Pumper Paint Pens are perfect... for so many things.
 As well as being the perfect tool for writing on the Pen Pots they are also ultra smooth for use on windows.
They are a paint product and do require a blade to remove from the glass effectively afterwards but the highlighting and detail capacities are marvelous. I often use them to outline on my Hand Painted Window Splashes. I also drew my Snowflakes with Pumper Pens. See HERE

  I just happened to have four cork coaster lying around
 and so it was that they were a perfect cushion for the bottom of
 the pots. I attached the coasters with hot glue.

  Decorate! Be Creative and always, always think out of the box
(or the Pot as the case may be) 
Wait, I'm having an AH Ha moment.....
I just remembered having rolled 4 pairs of panties for my young Niece into long stemmed Roses. They were then wrapped like a bouquet in a cellophane wrap and tied with a bow. They were beautiful and she was thrilled. 
Instead of a pen I used a Chop Stick and attached the rolled panties at top with floral tape. The stem was then wrapped as is the pen below.
I'll have to dig up pictures or make another few pairs of panties into Roses just to show you. (mental note made) 
for Valentines Day the Pot could be painted in a heart motif and the long stem Rose Panties could be inserted and wrapped in cellophane.
These would also be a great  Place Setting to make at a Child's Garden Party. Fill them with Jelly Beans  when they are dry and before they go home. 
Make them up as little organizers. They would look great lined up on a counter top and labelled by the contents, appropriately EG; Paper Clips, Pens, Cotton Balls...

DIY Craft  Clay PEN Pots

I'm a stickler for a nice pen.. so I chose to use gel pens in my pots. Preferably the pen will have a removable plug in the end so that the end point of the flower can be inserted directly into the end of the pen, once the little plug has been removed. The flower is then secured in the end with a spot of glue.. use caution if you are using hot glue as too much can melt or damage the end of the pen cartridge. 

Insert flower into Pen end

   The flower that you choose can be as Seasonal as you need.
I've used Poinsettia for Christmas Gifting and Mums for Mothers Day Pots . See more HERE
Florist tape is then used to wrap the pen. It can be purchased directly from your local Florist for as little as a dollar or two a roll. Start at the top by making several wraps around the base of the flower and start moving down while wrapping the tape tightly. Don't wrap below where the pen starts to taper. I usually wrap all the way down and then back up once before wrapping a final layer time when inserting any greenery.

                 To add leaves simply place the stem of the leaf against the pen and while holding in place,
wrap with the floral tape.On the final wrap back up go around the leaf end the opposite to what you did on the wrap down. You have to move the leaf slightly out of the way to get around it.

Add floral tape

 The pen is now ready to be inserted into your almost finished pen pot.
Add about 1 1/2 cups of rice to your pot and top with a layer of colored rock bits, coffee beans, glass beads...(optional) but very effective.
Wrap the Pen Pot in a cellophane package, tie with a bow and Gift away.
For ease of transportation I put the rice in a baggie before wrapping the package in cellophane. The recipient can then pour the rice directly into the Pen Pot once it has safely arrived at  it's destination.
I also planted one of my Hand Painted rock bugs in the Pot and every once in awhile the bug will work his way to the surface! See BUGS HERE

DIY Teacher Gift

More For The Love of Crafting
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