Cornstarch Dough Decorations

Hello and welcome back! I hope you all had a delightful week. Is it just me or is this year already flying by?! I can't believe that in just under a week it will already be February. Wow! :)

The craft project this week comes from what I like to refer to as a craft twist. The twist refers to deviating from the directions of a project or idea so that it better suits your needs. So, in my case, I found a recipe to make cornstarch Christmas ornaments. Well, Christmas has come and gone but I still wanted to do this project so I thought up a few different things I could do with the dough and off I went!!

Supplies you'll need;
Cornstarch
Baking soda
Water
Measuring cup
Sauce pan
Cookie sheet
Mixing spoon
Parchment paper
Paper towels
Gallon Ziploc bag
Rolling pin
Toothpick
Cookie cutters, stamps, silicone molds, etc.

I had all of the ingredients on hand and so didn't have to purchase anything, but if you need to purchase things, I would estimate that this project will come in at under $10 total.

**Edited to add; Several people have asked me where I got the cookie cutters and silicone molds shown in the pictures. I got them at Thinkgeek.com The molds are actually silicone ice cube trays that I cut off a few parts to re-purpose for crafts. The spatula/spoon thing I used is also from that site. I LOVE their stuff, can you tell? ;)

Step 1
Gather your ingredients. Combine 2 cups of baking soda, 1 cup of cornstarch, and 1 1/2 cups of water into your sauce pan. 

Step 2
Stir the mixture over medium-high heat (I have an electric stove and had my heat 3/4 of the way up). You'll want to continuously stir the mixture (which at first will feel like you're trying to stir hard clay) to prevent it from sticking to the sides and bottom. I started off using a whisk and quickly switched to a spoon/spatula/thing I have.

Step 2.4
As the mixture starts to heat up you may see some bubbling, that's perfectly normal, just keep stirring. It will slowly start to thicken up. Don't hesitate to adjust the heat if needed. At this point I turned mine down to medium.

Step 2.8
After about 10 minutes of stirring your mixture should start to resemble mashed potatoes. When it's at this point, it's done. You can kind of see in this photo where I quit stirring for a little too long and it stuck to the bottom. If that happens  no worries, just remove the moist dough and throw out the caked on stuff on the bottom. It comes off super easy!

Step 3
Spread a little bit of cornstarch , either onto your counter top or on to a cutting board (like I did), then place your mixture from your saucepan on to it. Use your spoon to mold it into a shape that will fir easily under your paper towels.

Step 4
Take 3-4 paper towels and get them wet, not dripping wet, but the wetter side of damp. You can also use a clean, lint free kitchen towel for this. But, the dough will pick up every thread, lint piece, or hair that you may or may not have seen. Let it cool down to room temperature. If you do not want to use the dough right away you can wrap it loosely in the paper towels and place it into a gallon size Ziploc bag and put it in the refrigerator. According to the internet, it should stay good for at least a week, maybe longer. 

Step 5
Now is the time to start having FUN! Collect your parchment paper, rolling pin, cookie cutters/molds/stamps/etc., and your dough and take them to a place where you'll be comfortable to work (for me it's my coffee table). Take 1 sheet of parchment paper and lay it out on to your table then sprinkle it with  some cornstarch. Take some of your dough and roll it in to a ball then put on the powdered paper and flatten it out a bit with your hand. Put a little bit of  cornstarch on top of the flattened ball then cover with a second sheet of parchment paper. Use your rolling pin to roll the dough out to about a 1/4" thick. You don't want it too thin or your decorations will be fragile and you don't want it too thick because they will not only take a long time to dry, but they will likely crack badly while drying.

Step 6
Once your dough is rolled out you can use your cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes.  If you've opted to have some stamps as well, then once you cut the shape out you can use the stamp to press an image into it. This particular cookie cutter has a stamp portion built in to it. Be careful not to press to hard with the stamps because it will thin out the area where the impression is. See Step 8 for what will happen. Use a toothpick to make holes if you want to hang your decorations.

Step 6.5
Here you can see the two silicone molds that I decided to play around with. I've never used these  with clay or dough before and so I'm unsure of the drying time or how it will turn out. Unfortunately, they are still drying as of this posting (6 hours so far), so I will have to update you all later once they're done!! :)

Note:
Keep the portion of the dough you are not currently using wrapped in the damp paper towel so that it doesn't start to dry out prematurely. I used a spray bottle to re-moisten the towel and the dough when needed.

Step 7
Put a sheet of parchment paper on to your cookie sheet and place your cutouts on top as you finish them. You'll see in this photo that a few of mine are stacked or layered. Please note that this lengthens the drying time. You can opt to keep the layers separate and then glue them together later. 

Step 8
You have two options for drying your decorations. You can dry them in the oven or you can air dry them. If you want to do it in the oven, preheat it to 175 degrees F.  Place the cookie sheet in to the oven bake for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the decorations over and then bake for an additional 30 minutes. I took out my single layer pieces at this point and put my double layer ones in for an additional 45 minutes. Here you can see what happens if you press to hard with your stamps. My starship broke in half. Ooops!

Step 9
After they have cooled you can either leave them white or paint them,. Acrylic seems to work best though water colors have a really cool effect. I also plan to glue some magnets on to the backs of a few of these and I'm turning the butterflies and flower into a mobile for my niece.

 I apologize for not getting all portions done and photographed before putting up the blog for the week, but I simply ran out of time. I'm leaving town on Monday for two weeks and have SO much to get done before I leave. I promise to get the photos added when I get back. That said... There will not be any blog updates for the next two weeks while I'm in North Dakota and Utah visiting family. When I return home I will do some make-up posts. I plan to do lots of craft projects while I'm gone because it is way too cold to go outside. They have feet of snow in North Dakota... FEET! Brrrrrr!!!

As you can see from this week's project, you don't always have to do exactly what the project instructions specify. And, things don't always work out 100%. It's okay. We learn from our mistakes and we discover new favorites by pushing ourselves. Let me know what you decided to make with your cornstarch dough. 



Enjoy & happy crafting!
Claire

Custom Magnets

Another week has come and gone. Wow, this was one crazy week for my household (which is why this post is a day late)!! It included an unexpected trip to the vet and an emergency surgery for one of our cats. Poor little guy. He's doing great now though and is back to his normal, feisty self. :)

On to the crafting!! I decided to take part in the pay-it-forward (random act of kindness) thing that was running rampant on my Facebook news feed around the first of the year. I have always loved giving gifts and I love making things... So, it was a no brainer that I'd go along with everyone else doing it. This week's project is a gift for one of my friends that signed up, they're super simple custom magnets. Shhhh! Don't tell her! ;)

Materials you'll need;
Glass gems - I bought mine bulk, but you can get them at Michael's, they have two sizes 1/2" and 1 1/4" diameter
Modge podge
Craft knife or scissors
Pen or pencil
Hot glue gun
Neodymium magnets (super strong rare earth magnets)
Images - Things that are special to the person the magnets are for
Optional: 1" hole punch

Step 1
Collect all of your materials. Even if you're not sure if you'll need something , grab it just in case. It's far easier to have something on hand and not need it than to have to get up several times to go get things. You'll need to sort through the glass gems and find ones that will work for you. I found that some had a weird ripply texture on the back and others have fractures inside the gem. The fractures aren't always bad. In the completed project picture (Step 6) three of those had small fractures in them and they turned out great!

Step 1.5
Images can come from almost anywhere. I gathered up two catalogs that were sent to me in the mail, some magazines, a couple Christmas cards, and a promotional advertisement. In the past I've also printed images I found online and used photos. The goal is to find images that are special to the person the magnets are for.  I suggest choosing more images than you'll need because some images just don't end up working out. They're either the wrong size or simply don't look good under the glass gem.

Step 2
Find a gem that you like with the particular image you've chosen. Use your pen or pencil to trace around the gem. When I first started making these I was careful to try and get it as close as possible to the size of the base of the gem. I later discovered that it was WAY more trouble than it was worth. As you can see here, I make my circle slightly larger than my gem. After you've traced your gem, cut out the image using either your craft knife or scissors. This is where you may opt to use the 1" hole punch, but not that it will be a bit too small for the larger glass gems.

Step 3
Add some modge podge to the back of your gem and place the image onto it. Press firmly, but not too hard that you tear the paper, and smooth it so it's flush against the back of the gem. This will push the excess modge podge out the sides, that's perfectly fine. While the modge podge is wet you can adjust the image and center it how you please. 

Step 4
Once the modge podge on the front has dried completely, carefully trim the excess off of your image. You don't need the edges to be 100% pretty or smooth, remember this is the back side of the magnet. I add an additional coat of modge podge on the back side after I trim to seal in the back and help protect them from moisture. This is optional.

Step 5
Once the back has dried add a small spot of hot glue to the back, centered. Then place the magnet on and press it down firmly. You can use another type of glue to secure the magnet, but I have found that regular white glue and craft glue will not hold. E6000 and hot glue are the only others ones I have tried, both with great success. 

Step 6
Enjoy your work!!  As I mentioned above, three of these gems had fractures in them (Lion King, pink flower,  and cross) and the magnets still look beautiful.

Step 6.1
These are four I made for myself, just to give you a few more examples and ideas. 

I'll attempt to break down the costs for you, but this is an estimate. The reason I can't be more accurate is because I knew I was going to make quite a few of these for people and bought in bulk. :D

Glass gems (small) - Target, $4.99 for approximately 100 (~$0.05 ea)
Glass gems (large) - Michael's, $6.99 for approximately 25 (~$0.28 ea)
Neodymium magnets - The Container Store $12.99 for 24 (~$0.54 ea)
Modge Podge - I already had this item
Craft knife - I already owned this item
Pen - I already owned this item
Hot glue gun - I already owned this item
Images - This shouldn't cost you any additional money, go through magazines, junk mail, etc.

Total cost (per custom magnet) is about $0.59 for small ones and $0.82 for large ones. If you can find a good deal on the magnets and large gems (I ordered mine on Amazon.com) then that will significantly lower your costs.




Have a great week & happy crafting!

Claire

Mr. Big Mouth

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful week. My week was mostly full of an icky migraine, which is now gone just in time for the weekend! Yay!! Thankfully I have a super easy and fun craft project that I can do no matter how my head is feeling.

I like to lovingly call it Mr. Big Mouth. It was, as usual, something I saw on Pinterest. I had decided to make them for several friends for Christmas, but when I followed the pin link to get some directions it led to a Japanese web page. After translating the page (thank you Google translate!) I found that these were made as a prototype and were not actually a craft project nor were they even for sale anywhere. I was bummed for awhile and trying to think what else I could make for people but then my stubbornness kicked in. Well, as with the book purse, I knew I could figure it out, or at least a close approximation of what I saw in the picture online. :)

Supplies (and where I bought them):
Tennis balls - Walmart $10 for 12 ($0.83/ea)
Suction cups with hooks - Target $3 for 8 (($0.38/ea)
Fabric paint - Michael's $5 for 4 fl oz (I use a lot of this so I bought a big bottle, smaller bottles are about $1)
Utility knife - Already owned
Hot glue gun - Already owned

Each Mr. Big Mouth will cost you under $1.50 to make and is a fabulous gift and conversation piece for work or school.

Mr. Big Mouth

These are the supplies you'll need.

Step 1
Carefully, make a slit with your utility knife that extends from one white stripe to the other. You will need to make multiple passes to get all the way through, unless you have an extremely sharp blade. The rubber lining on the inside usually doesn't cut evenly or 'pretty' so you may want to use your knife to even it out until it's to your liking. Don't remove all of it around the opening because this is what is going to provide grip for whatever he's holding.

Step 2
Make a + shaped cut on the back side. I learned from trial and error to make the cut centered to the slit on the front and up about half an inch. This will allow the Mr. Big Mouth to hang properly.

Step 3
Separate the hook from the suction cup.

Step 4
Insert one half of  the hook into the + shape cut that you made in the back side of the ball. You could also insert the suction cup if you'd like to.

Step 5
Open the 'mouth' of your ball and add some hot glue. You want the hot glue to be on the  inside to make sure your hook or suction cup does not pull out while it's hanging.

Step 6
Using your fabric paint, add your eyes. I didn't want anything too elaborate so I stuck with simple dots. I have one friend who is very in to anime and so I got a little more creative on hers. You could even glue some googly eyes or felt eyes on to your Mr. Big Mouth if you wanted to.

Step 7
Find something that you would like your Mr. Big Mouth to hold. Keys, cables, pens, etc. and enjoy!

This is the one I made with the suction cup on the back. I use him to hold things while I'm crafting. Here he is on the side of one of my craft tackle boxes.  

Have a great weekend and happy crafting!

Claire

Book Purse

A few months ago I found a pin on Pinterest that showed a really cool purse made from a hard back book. I was immediately intrigued as it combined three of my loves; purses, books, and crafting! I eagerly followed the link and saw it led to an Etsy shop where the person was selling this particular purse for $135. Really? Yes, really. I'm all for craftsmen and women being paid for their workmanship, but I felt this was a bit excessive considering the materials involved and a guess on the time investment. I knew I could figure out how to make one, and for a lot less than $135.

Item List:
Hardcover book
Scrap fabric for lining (make sure you'll have enough to cover in one solid piece)
Card stock - 2 12"X12" sheets should be enough
Modge Podge
Foam brush
Craft glue
Pen - You can use fabric pencil, I used a simple Bic style pen
Ruler
Sewing Machine (you can hand stitch)
Hot glue gun or super glue
Neodymium magnets - you'll need 2 - 4 of these




Step 1)

First I went to a local thrift store and found a couple of old hardback books to experiment with. I chose ones that had a nice cover and tried to find ones that were books I actually liked. I mean, I should be able to answer questions about the book in question if someone were to ask me.

Step 2)

I carefully removed the guys of the book. Added bonus is that the inner part of the book is being saved for another craft project!

Step 3)

Next, I added several coats of a matte finish modge podge. I coated the front about 5 times and the inside about 3, with some extra towards the edges. I figured the edges would get the most wear and tear.

Step 4)

Take some card stock and make a template of the inside portion of the book. You'll use this to cut and stabilize the fabric.

Step 5)

Now make a template for the sides of the purse too. On the card stock add a half inch to each side to allow for seams. You'll need to cut 4 pieces of fabric from this template. 

Step 6)

Use template to cut the fabric that you've chosen for your liner. I allowed about a half inch seam on each side.

Step 7)

As I said, cut four of these.

Step 8)

Glue the fabric to the card stock, folding the edges of the fabric over onto the card stock. I coated the entire sheet of card stock to make sure I didn't get any bubbles or weird slipping of the fabric later. The purpose of this is to make the fabric thicker/stronger and to have nice clean edges with less sewing. Once the fabric is on you can glue this piece to the inside cover of the book. Do not glue the edges yet, only the center!

Step 9)

Next sew the tops of 2 triangles together. You should end up with 2 pieces that look like the top one in the picture.

Step 10)

Now here's the tricky part. You'll need to lift the edges and glue down the triangles. The middle (shown in picture) is the easiest. I started with the center and worked my way around, carefully lifting and gluing. I don't have a picture of this part because it was kind of tricky and I forgot to stop and take one.

Step 11)

In the end, this is what you should have. I decided to keep mine a clutch style purse to keep with the book illusion and so I glued the magnets onto the inside (glued under the edge of the fabric). I originally used craft glue and it didn't hold up. So, I switched to hot glue and that has held up perfectly. However, I'm originally from southern AZ where hot glue melts fairly easily, so if you're in a hotter climate you may want to use a different glue.

 There you have it. Now you too can make your very own Book Purse in a few hours time! :)

Oh! Breakdown of the costs on this project for me were:

$2          Hardcover book - Thrift store
$1.50     Scrap fabric for lining - Hancock Fabrics
$0          Card stock - Already owned
$0          Modge Podge - Already owned
$0.50     Foam brush - Home Depot
$0          Craft glue - Already owned
$0          Pen - Already owned
$0          Ruler - Already owned
$0          Sewing Machine - Already owned
$2          Hot glue gun - Michael's Crafts (I couldn't find my glue sticks anywhere!!)
$3          Neodymium magnets  - The Container Store (24 for $12.99)
_______________

$9.00     Total


Happy crafting!
         ~ Claire ~

Brand new at this whole blogging thing!

Hello all!!

I've decided to start this as a way to document all of the crafty and DIY projects that I do, which is a TON! But, more than that, I wanted to encourage other people and give them the tips and tricks I've picked up along my journey, to celebrate the successes and laugh at the, sometimes quite epic, failures. I wanted a place where like minded craft people could share ideas, stories, and helpful hints.


My goal is to post one new crafty or DIY project each week. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to do that all of the time, the nature of my business takes me out of town fairly often. I'll try to make up for it when work, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances prevent me from updating. Heck, I may become so obsessed that I update more often.

Fair warning, I'm human. I know, big shock right?! I will make spelling and grammar mistakes (I love to overuse commas,,,,), I will mess up posts, I'll forget to take a photo or two along the way, and I'll screw up other things along the way, things I can't even think of right now!! I am also no expert, by a long shot. These posts will just be that way that I've done the particular project, but it may not be the only or most efficient way to do them. Also, I'll likely often post photos of my "helpers" who are always nearby when I'm attempting anything. Please be patient with me along the way.

So, here goes nothing!

Flynn welcomes you as well!