Amanda's Crafty Creations

Gone Swimming Beach Plaque

2009-05-11T06:50:00.002-05:00

This was something I made a few years ago after a trip to the beach. Many people decorate their bathrooms in a nautical or beach theme, so this is a great addition to that decor. I hung mine on the wall and it looked lovely.

Gone Swimming Beach Plaque

Make this pretty beach craft and bring a little of the ocean's calm into your home. Gather seashells, starfish, and some sand from your beach vacation this summer, and make this lovely keepsake to hang on your wall.

What You Need

oval paper mache hanging plaque
acrylic paint, antique white
acrylic paint, tan
black craft or Sharpie pen
assorted sea shells and starfish
sand
1 large starfish
scruffy paintbrush
flat paintbrush
hot glue gun
white craft glue
water
acrylic sealer spray, matte

To get the instructions for this craft please visit Gone Swimming Beach Plaque on FamilyCorner.com

Country Dammit Doll

2009-05-04T06:53:00.003-05:00

This little country doll is a great comfort gift for someone you care about, or an adorable addition to any room in your home. You may remember Dammit Dolls from your grandmother's time period and they are still around today.

Several years ago, I made this for a friend who was living in Germany. Her husband was in the military and away quite a lot. She missed him dearly and seemed so sad. She loved the gift and still cherishes it today.

You will need

FOR THE DOLL
country floral fabric (half of a yard should do it!)
doll pattern
white yarn
darning needle
Fiberfil
curled jute
sewing needle
thread to match fabric
6 buttons to coordinate with the fabric
2 flat backed black eyes
fabric glue
large unpainted wood button
scrap of blue gingham fabric for neck bow

FOR THE CONTAINER
12" cylindrical papier mache container
acrylic paint in antique white, light brown, and country blue
crackle medium
paintbrush
household sponge or sponge scrap
curled jute
rusty tin button
blue gingham fabric scrap
white tacky glue
black fine tip craft pen
ruler
scrap piece of paper
pen or pencil

What you do

THE DOLL

Bodice
To begin, print out the doll pattern and cut two pieces from country floral fabric, RIGHT side of fabric facing out. This doll is sewn on the outside, rather than sewn and turned inside out. This gives it a more primitive country look. Using a darning needle and white yarn, begin at the top/center of the head and sew downward, all the way around the doll until you get to the other side of the neck. Pause here to stuff the doll with Fiberfil, using the eraser end of a pencil to gently push the stuffing into the arms and legs. Complete the stuffing of the doll's head and sew shut, knot off.

Embellishments
Using a length of curled jute (can be purchased in the craft store where doll hair is sold), cut into 1 1/2" pieces. For each piece, fray the ends halfway, leaving the other half curled. Use a sewing needle and thread to sew the curled end of the jute pieces to the top of the head, frayed end should be pointing upward for the hair. You will need around 6 or 7 pieces of jute to complete the hair. Sew 3 buttons to the front of the hair, in the center, and 3 to the back, running thread through two buttons at once (one in back, one in front). Cut a strip of blue gingham fabric and fray the ends. Tie around doll's neck and secure with a couple of threads. Use fabric glue to adhere eyes to the doll's face. Sew wood button to the front of the doll's body.

THE CONTAINER

Paint the papier mache cylinder and lid with a coat of antique white acrylic paint and allow to dry completely. Following the directions on the crackle medium, apply a coat of crackle medium over the antique white, and allow to dry according to the manufacturer's directions (usually 15-45 minutes, or until tacky but not completely dry). Finish with a coat of light brown, again, follow the directions on the crackle medium! Use single brush strokes, DO NOT brush over and over, you will lose the crackle effect. Allow to dry completely.

For the lid, cut a piece of blue gingham fabric long enough to fit around the lid, fray and tie. Trim and fray the ends. Use tacky glue to secure the fabric to the lid. Tie a piece of curled jute around the lid over the fabric, tie in place, secure with tacky glue. Gently thread a rusty tin button with the jute, and tie, ends should hang downward.

When the light brown coat is dry, use the household sponge to apply an oval shape to the front of your cylinder using antique white. The oval should cover most of the length of the container, leaving about an inch at the bottom and the top (below the lid). Sponge a light border of country blue around the outer edge of your oval.

Using a piece of scrap paper and a pen or pencil, sketch out the poem listed below to ensure that you can fit it all on your oval. You can use a ruler to approximate how much area you have to work with. Use a craft pen to write on the poem when you are comfortable with it.

DAMMIT DOLL

When you want to climb the wall,
And stand right up and shout.
There's a little Dammit doll
You cannot do without.

Just grasp it firmly by the legs,
And find a place to slam it.
And as you whack the stuffing out
Yell Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!

If Dammit's not a word you say
Then twist its little neck
And grumble out repeatedly
Oh Heck, Oh Heck, Oh Heck!

And once your done abusing it
Just sit it on the shelf.
But hug it first, as I'd hug you
If I were there myself.

Note: Carefully stuff container with some light tissue paper before placing doll inside. You may need to tuck your doll's arms in a bit to fit her in. Cover her with a bit more tissue paper and cover with the lid.

You can get a printable version and see a larger photo of this Dammit Doll craft on FamilyCorner.com

Garden Crafts: Country Plant Pokes

2009-04-10T13:10:00.003-05:00

Here's a craft I made back in 2001. Now is a great time to make these as it's almost time to start planting!

Country Plant Pokes

What you need
(For each plant poke, variations are pictured here)

3" wood heart
12" wooden dowel
acrylic paint in antique white and contrasting color of your choice
crackle medium
craft pens
material scraps
white craft glue (Tacky glue)
matte finish sealer spray

To get the font pattern and the instructions, please visit Country Plant Pokes on FamilyCorner.com

St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold Greeting Card

2009-02-16T06:25:00.004-06:00

Valentine's Day has come and gone, now it's time to move on to St. Patrick's Day! This holiday always makes me yearn for spring. I am definitely in need of warmer weather. :) Below is a craft I made a few years ago. I have also included some links at the end for more fun stuff!

Pot of Gold Greeting Card
Designed by Amanda Formaro © 2006

What you need:

5"x7" piece of light green card stock or construction paper
black construction paper or card stock
tan, yellow or gold construction paper or card stock
scissors
white craft glue
construction paper OR patterned card stock papers in the following colors or shades:

red
orange
yellow
green
blue
purple

print the pattern here

What you do

Fold 5"x7" light green card stock in half to create the card. Use the pattern to cut out all the necessary pieces from colored papers.

Glue the rainbow pieces in place first. Next glue on the black pot, then the band for the pot. Finally glue on the "pieces of gold".

Variations: Instead of card stock for the band, you can use a gold glitter. Another idea is to add little dots of gold glitter to the "pieces of gold" in the pot.

Note: Don't buy sheets and sheets of expensive papers. We used Sizzix brand paper pads, known as Little Sizzles. We used papers from both the Pastels (40-0014) pad and the Watercolors (40-0015) pad. These pads can be found in the scrapbooking aisle of your local craft store. Ours cost $4.99 per pad, each pad has 4 sheets of each solid cardstock, 3 sheets of each pattern paper, there are 80 acid free sheets total per pad. These papers were made for the Sizzix Die Cutting Machine. We have used these pads for many different projects, including our Charming Valentine Greeting Cards, our Quilted Keepsake Box, as well as our Decoupage Coin Banks.

Related Fun!

Fun St. Patrick's Day Printables
St. Patrick's Day Fun Recipe Ideas
More St. Patrick's Day Craft Ideas

Be Mine Valentine Wall Hanging

2009-02-09T07:36:00.003-06:00

This was a craft that I made in 2002. Sometimes I can't believe how long ago I did stuff when I look back at my projects! LOL This one is one of my favorites though because it can be adjusted for kids and for adults. Make it as simple or as intricate as you want or as your supply inventory will allow ;-)

Be Mine Valentine Wall Hanging
by Amanda Formaro

You'd never guess this darling heart was once a boring brown paper grocery bag! Make one yourself to give to a friend or to hang in your entryway.

You will need

brown grocery bag
acrylic paint in red and pink
toothbrush
paintbrush
fine tip black marker
pinking shears (or other decorative scissors)
small material scrap in gingham or other pattern of your choice
heart shaped buttons, small pink, medium red
cotton batting (Fiberfil)
white craft glue (Tacky glue)
craft wire
pencil
raffia
hot glue gun

What you do

Lay brown paper bag on flat work surface. Cut out two large sections from the front and back of the bag. Stack those sections, one on top of the other, then fold them in half. Draw half a heart, with the fold being in the middle of the heart, then cut it out with the pinking shears. Or you can use this as a pattern.

Beginning at the bottom of the heart, use tacky glue to connect the two layers at the seams, stuffing the heart as you go with cotton batting (Fiberfil). Work your way around the edges, carefully stuffing (but not too much!) until heart is completely closed.

When the glue is dry, paint the heart red, leaving the decorative edges plain as seen in the photo. When the red paint is dry, dip the bristle tips of a toothbrush into the pink paint. Test your flecking ability on a piece of scrap paper before doing this on your heart. Hold toothbrush horizontally and drag your thumb across the bristles, causing the paint to fleck spots wherever you aim it. When you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and fleck some pink paint on your heart.

When pink paint is dry, use the black finetip marker to write BE MINE, placing decorative dots at the point of each letter. Use pinking shears to cut out a small heart from the gingham scrap material. Use white glue to adhere the material heart to the upper right hand corner of your brown bag heart. Use white glue to adhere a small pink heart shaped button to the material scrap.

Cut a piece of craft wire long enough to wrap completely around your heart. This should be enough for your hanger. Find the middle of craft wire, wrap the middle section of the wire around a pencil about 6 or 7 times. Pull the pencil out to create the curl at the top of your hanger. Curve the wire into a hanger shape and poke each end carefully through the sides of the heart as shown in the photo. Use the skinny end of a small paintbrush to curl the ends of the wire that you poked through.

Using raffia, tie a bow out onto the craft wire just before where the top curls begin. Using a hot glue gun, glue the medium sized red heart shaped button to the center of the raffia. Spray the entire heart with a coat of acrylic sealant.

Note: It is not necessary to paint the back of the heart, though you may if you like.

If you need a cute craft for the kiddies, try these Salt Dough Lips!!

Easy Homemade Valentine Cards

2009-01-01T21:55:00.004-06:00

Valentine's Day will be here before you know it, so I thought I would share some simple Valentine greeting cards I made a few years ago. These are very easy and they are fun to make with kids too :)

You will need:

Card stock in various solid colors and patterns (8.5" x 11 cut in half or 4"x 6")
pinking shears
scissors
white craft glue or glue stick
Valentine themed stickers

What you do:

There are so many different ways to make these cards, just let your imagination lead the way. For the designs we have created, follow these easy steps.

Cut & Paste Designs
Begin with a piece of solid colored card stock, fold in half to make the card. Use pinking shears or regular scissors to cut hearts from various patterns of paper. Don't be afraid to experiment! Stripes and checkerboards look wonderful matched up with a floral or polka dot design. Find patterns with colors that compliment each other. Next, simply glue the the hearts onto the front of the card (pictured below).

Waste not want not! Notice that in the second card, we used the outer edges of the hearts used on the third and fourth cards. We cut our hearts too big, then simply trimmed around the hearts one more time to make them smaller, hence having a heart border left over to use on another card.

Borders & Patterns
As with the others, begin with a solid color for the card. For the first one (pictured below), use pinking shears to cut out a border from a patterned piece of paper to create a "frame" for your card. Use complimentary colored Valentine stickers to decorate the center. The card in the center is simply four hearts cut from different patterns of paper, then glued in a diagonal, layered on top of each other. The third design is just two rectangles cut from different patterns, one larger than the other, then glued in the center of the card.

When you are finished, it is recommended that you place your cards inside or under a heavy book, such as a cookbook or phone directory. When the glue dries, it tends to curl up the cards. Allowing them to dry under the weight of the book will flatten them as they dry.

As you can see, you don't have to be into scrapbooking or be an artist to create charming cards for any occasion. Simply let your imagination guide you. If you are convinced that you just aren't that creative to think up your own designs and patterns, look through home decor magazines to get ideas on contrasting patterns and colors.

Christmas Crafts

2008-12-07T11:56:00.002-06:00

Wow, I'm sorry, I've totally neglected my craft blog. I'm afraid my cooking blog has just taken over :( So I'll post some goodies of past crafts I've made, along with links to the instructions in case you are still looking for some fun Christmas crafts!

Light Bulb Angel - Isn't she Heavenly! Make this lovely angel from a burnt out light bulb, some lace scraps and a few silk flowers. Then hang her high upon your tree or in your doorway for all to see. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
Light Bulb Penguin - This cute little fellow is all bundled up for those arctic winter mornings at the North Pole! Help this little cutie get warm and cozy by placing him in your lighted Christmas tree this year. The possibilities are endless for these fun and easy crafts, try one today! Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
Light Bulb Snowman - The lightbulb is used for many different ornaments! This project brings you a whimsical snowman all bundled up, ready for a cold winter's day. Try this project today with scraps from around your house. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
Clay Pot Elf - Santa's helpers are busy making presents for all the good boys and girls. This little elf is no exception! It's a tough job being Santa's Head Elf, but someone has to do it! This little guy takes his job quite seriously.
Clay Pot Gingerbread Pals - These gingerbread are too cute to eat! If you are looking for an easy holiday craft, this could very well be the answer you've been searching for.
Clay Pot Rudolph - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Had a Very Shiny Nose! This cute little reindeer will bring smiles all winter long. Make the matching snowman for a fun set to display this year.
Clay Pot Santa & Mrs. Claus - Santa & Mrs. Claus are ready to bring joy to all the girls and boys. What a fun way to say Merry Christmas to your holiday host, your child's teacher, or a member of your family.
Clay Pot Snowmen - This darling snowman and snowwoman make the perfect couple. All bundled up for a cold winter's day, and so easy, the kids can make then too!
Clay Pot Winter Friends - Ice blue is the popular color for snowmen and winter scenes. These winter friends are looking cool in their ice blue outfits, just waiting for the ice rink to open!
Acorn Snowman - This little fellow is perfect for hanging on the tree, or as a gift topper. Gather up your extra acorns and make a few today! Give away as gifts to teachers, neighbors, even the mail carrier!
Glass Ornament Snowmen - Looking for a quick and easy dress up to those plain glass ornaments in your Christmas box? Or maybe you need a unique Christmas gift idea? Try these adorable snowmen on for size! Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
Salt Dough Christmas Trees - If you are looking for a fun project that doubles as a really cute decoration, try your hand at these salt dough Christmas trees. Easy to make, fun to decorate, and so many different possibilities!
Santa's Clothesline - When Santa gets home from his long trip around the world, his clothes are sure to be damp from tromping through the snow! So what does Santa do with those wet clothes? He hangs them on his clothesline of course! This craft makes a cute decoration, you can even drape it on the tree.
A Whimsical Wooden Santa - This rosy-cheeked Santa Claus can be put together in less than an hour. These are wonderful accents for your dinner table or fireplace mantel.
Coffee Creamer Santa - Ho Ho Ho! As Christmas quickly approaches, do you find yourself in need of some new decorations? Instead of running out and spending yet more money, look around your kitchen for the perfect holiday craft. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
No Sew Country Santa - This Santa is a great addition to any wall, sitting next to the fireplace, or atop a shelf. He's soft enough to cuddle too!
A Waste Not Snowman - There are plenty of crafts you can make from items found around the house, or even those headed for the garbage can. This adorable snowman was created from a condiment bottle, fabric scraps, and lots of imagination. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
Adorable Snow Folks - Create a group of carolers or a sleighful of happy winter friends with your mismatched children's mittens, wooden balls, and lots of imagination. The sky is the limit! Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
No Sew Plump Snowman - This plump little snowman makes a great centerpiece, is easy to put together and makes a cuddly pal for the kids. With some very simple items you can put this craft together inexpensively and quickly. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
A Snowball Fight - Create this cute winter pal with your mismatched children's gloves. Much like our Snow Folks, all you will need is gloves, wooden balls, and lots of imagination. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
Salt Dough Snow Family - This cute little snow family is easy to bake up. Paint them white then have a ball adding the finishing touches. Be as creative and colorful as your heart desires.
Snow Place Like Home - This adorable snowman can be painted onto any surface that you like. While we chose a glass jar as our medium, he would also look great on a wood plaque, papier mache box, or any other surface you can think of! This craft was designed for those with some experience in tole painting.
Snowballs For Sale - This cute little entrepreneurial snowman makes a great addition to the fireplace mantel or the front entryway. A fun wintertime craft that recycles too!
Snowman Wall Hanging - This cheerful snowman will greet visitors as they come in the door. Hang him on the door, in the entryway, above your kitchen counter, wherever his cheerful face fits best!
Sock Snowman - This cute snowman is so easy, you'll be able to throw several together in an afternoon! All you need are some tube socks and imagination.
Wood Scrap Snowmen - If you have access to some small wood scraps, or perhaps a board you can cut up, you can make these cute little additions to your holiday shelves. But wait, don't stop there! The creative possibilities of this craft are endless; try Santas, Christmas trees, reindeer, Nativity scenes, elves, and more!
Country Elegance Holiday Wreath - The holidays are just around the corner and you aren't looking forward to fighting the crowds at the mall for just a few decorations. Then dig out your fabric scraps and a grapevine wreath and you are on your way to country elegance. Easy instructions and photo included with this craft.
Ice Candle Centerpiece - What a beautiful centerpiece. Your friends will be amazed at your craftiness and the compliments will keep coming as the night goes on. Be sure to make this a day or so ahead!

Little Angel Jars

2008-11-15T19:36:00.003-06:00

Holy moly, my cooking blog gets all the attention and I don't get over here enough! I thought I would post these cute little angel jars. When I had my store I used to take orders and paint these for aunts, grandmas, and for women attending baby showers. They were a great personalized gift and were pretty popular.

Scapper Contest & Cooking Contest!

2008-10-30T08:43:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone

Just wanted to tell everyone that a fellow blogger, Meghan, is holding a contest for you scrap fanatics on her blog! Please visit this link for the details and then go to her blog's homepage to see all of her GORGEOUS creations!!

And just look at this beautiful prize!

And if you like to cook and have a blog you post recipes on, you'll want to check out the Cooking With Alicia & Annie blog event. Not only is it an ongoing event, there's also a fabulous prize available to one lucky participating blogger. This month's prize is a Holiday Baking Bundle worth over $100!

Monster Crafts & Recipes

2008-10-17T21:04:00.006-05:00

Halloween is almost here! Of course, monsters are synonymous with the Halloween holiday, so why not make some fun monster crafts? Whether it's Frankenstein, mummies or vampire bats, here are some fun goodies to make and eat. Many of these are crafts I have made over the years for FC :)

Tin Can Frankenstein
by Amanda Formaro

Make this darling little Frankenstein out of felt, glue and a tin can. Fill him with lollipops for Halloween or use as a pencil holder for your homework desk!

You will need

empty aluminum can
1 sheet green felt
1/2 sheet black felt
scraps of white and light green felt
1 black skinny chenille stem
white craft glue
2 small black pom poms
scissors
4 round magnets
click here for patterns

What you do

Make sure can does not have any sharp edges around the opening. If it does, use a piece of sandpaper to sand them down.

Lay green felt on work surface. Lay the can down on to the felt. Roll the can up in the felt to see exactly how much you will need to go all the way around the can. Trim, leaving about 1/2" overlap. Leave about 1" overlap that will fold over the bottom of the can as well as a 1" overlap for the top (mouth) of the can. Glue the green felt around the can, glue the excess overlap to the bottom and inside the mouth of the can.

To create the hair, lay the black felt on the work surface and place the can on top like you did for the green. Roll can up in the black felt and measure about 2" down from the top of the can. Trim excess. Before attaching black felt, cut one side in a grass-like scissor cut for the hair.

Glue the hair in place, lining up the straight edge with the top of the can.

Cut out the patterns for the eyebrows from black felt and the eyes from white felt. Glue in place (see photo).

Cut out the pattern for the nose from the light green felt and glue in place.

Cut chenille stem into a 4" long piece. Bend into a squiggly mouth as shown in the photo. Glue in place.

Glue the black pom poms to the centers of the white eyes.

Place 2 round magnets on each side of the head for the bolts, no glue required! The magnets should stick through the felt directly to the can. You can glue them in place if you prefer.

Let him dry before filling with candy, pencils or anything else you can think of.

More Monster Crafts and Recipes!

Bottle Bats - This cute Halloween bat is the perfect project for your kids. Easy to make, recycles and best of all, it's fun! Gather the kids around and make several of these quicky bats. A great project even for younger kids.

Chenille Stem Skeleton - Bend him, twist him, hang him from the ceiling! This cute little skeleton is perfect for Halloween. Kids will love making this craft from chenille stems! A fun Halloween craft for kids.

Clothespin Vampire Bats - These adorable little blood suckers are easily put together with some paint, a wooden clothespin and some felt. Make a whole bunch of them to line your window sill or put in a circle on the table!

Friendly Mummy - Not all mummies are scary and ghoulish. This friendly little mummy will greet your little goblins with a smile. Display him in your front window, on the kitchen table, or use him as a centerpiece for your Halloween party!

Ghoulish Stick Figures - If you are looking for last minute Halloween crafts, you've come to the right place! These adorable little monsters have personality of their own. Made from simple items such as ice cream sticks and tempura paint, they're sure to be a hit with your kids.

Halloween Ornaments - These little ornaments are perfectly spooky, in a friendly kind of way. Definitely fun to make, perfect for hanging around for trick or treaters! Be sure to try the black cat and bat designs!

Mummy Pots - This craft is super cute and easy for kids. They will have tons of fun making these little creatures. When you are done, fill them with candy, tiny toys, pens and pencils, crayons, or whatever else you can think of!

Salt Dough Halloween Creatures - Halloween is a fun time of year filled with lots of traditional characters. Why not bake up some fun crafts to paint this Halloween season. Use them to decorate your house, yard, or party!

Simple Halloween Spiders - Make this adorable spider with your children. These can be made in the classroom or at home. Hang it from the porch or ceiling in your house or above each student's desk! The title says it all -- simple! Make several to display at school and at home.

Tin Can Mummy - This cute little mummy is a perfect recycling project! Great for holding pens, pencils, or even some Halloween flowers. How about filling your mummy can with lollipops? This is a fun project that is easy even for littler kids.

Yummy mummy Spoons - Make this cute little mummy for class parties, Halloween parties, or to put in treat bags. So easy kids can help make them. Be sure to print the poem and attach to your mummy before handing him out!

Halloween Ghost Crafts

2008-10-08T22:09:00.005-05:00

I've made a few ghost crafts for FamilyCorner, so I thought I would share them here. One of the most popular is the Ghost Luminaries.

Ghost Luminaries

Greet this year's trick or treaters with a frightfully fun lighted path to your door. Kids can make these fun luminaries with very few supplies and plenty of imagination. Get started today!

You will need

clean, empty jars
white acrylic paint
black acrylic paint
black Sharpie marker
tea light candles or other illumination

NOTE: If you prefer to stay away from candles and flames, check out discount department stores, craft stores and party supply shops for glow lights and other alternate illuminating devices.

What you do

Paint jars with white acrylic paint. Let dry completely then add a second coat. Let dry, preferably overnight.

Use a black Sharpie marker to draw on eyes and mouths, then fill in with black acrylic paint. Let dry completely.

Add glow lights, tea light candles, votive candles or any other illumination and line them up along your sidewalk for a fun and spooky entrance.

Here are a few more ghost crafts to make for Halloween!

Gentleman Ghost - This adorable and inviting ghost can be made in less than an hour. Simple items from around your house and a few inexpensive craft supplies and you'll be on your way to making this dapper ghoul.

Ghosts in the Graveyard - These darling little ghouls will light up your child's face! Recycle an old cardboard egg carton into some Halloween craft fun with these ghosts in the graveyard.

Graveyard Ghouls - Try your "hand" at making these ghoulish ghosts this Halloween to display in your home. Watch out for more ghosts lurking in the background of the Rattlin' Bones Graveyard.

Halloween Painted Rocks - If you are looking for some inexpensive, easy crafts for your kids this Halloween, head out to your backyard to start the fun. Have the kids hunt around for different shaped rocks. Long, slender rocks for ghosts, oval shapes for spiders, and just about any stout rock will make a great pumpkin!

Plastic Cup Ghost - This cute little trick or treater is the perfect project for your kids. Recycle some paper or plastic cups into cute litlte ghost decorations for Halloween!

Salt Dough Ghost Family - These little ghouls are so easy to make your kids will be howling for more. Make a big batch of dough and put together as many ghouls as you can handle. These make great windowsill decorations!

Have fun!

Fall Crafts for Kids & Christmas Ornie sneak peek

2008-10-01T16:35:00.005-05:00

I haven't been posting like I should, but I've been pretty busy creating new crafts for Kaboose. last week I finished some Christmas ornaments and just HAVE to show you this pretty little angel I made. I just love her! She isn't posted yet on Kaboose but will be soon, along with 6 other new Christmas ornies for kids. This one is made from a wooden doll pin and two coffee filters. Isn't she lovely?? I've also posted some fall crafts I put together for them below.

Fall Crafts from Kaboose
by me :)

Faux Stained Glass Leaves
Make several of these pretty window hangers to display in the sun. They make a lovely display using fall’s splendid colors, mirroring the falling leaves. read more

Fall Foam Leaves Door Hanger
Make this super simple door hanger for your bedroom or the front door. Usher in the colors of fall with easy-to-cut leaves made from craft foam. read more

Paper Bag Pumpkin
These cute paper bag pumpkins are perfect for Halloween table decorations or, if filled with candy, a great party treat bag. read more

Paper Plate Scarecrow
Celebrate the coming of autumn with this adorable paper plate scarecrow. It's easy to put together and uses a minimal amount of supplies. read more

Felt Apples
With fall comes an abundance of apples. Make these cute little candy apples, caramel apples and apples from the orchard with felt foam balls. read more

Honeycomb Design Jar

2008-09-27T09:57:00.003-05:00

Just a quickie post this morning to show off a design I did several years ago. The bees are dying off and driving me crazy on my balcony, so I thought of this as we close out summer. LOL Hope to post more soon:

Fall Painted Tea Pots

2008-09-23T22:37:00.003-05:00

It's been several years since I painted these, and I did sell both of them, but I always loved these designs. The colors are purely autumn and they were really simple to paint. The design is pretty plain and the strokes weren't complicated, yet the effect comes out wonderful.

I'm signing off, I'm tired, but thought I would share these before I go. :)

My first blog award!

2008-09-23T06:34:00.002-05:00

Isn't Brenda from A Journey of Grace & Whimsy the bestest?!?! She has bestowed upon me my very first blogger award and I am honored to have received it. Thank you B!

The rules are:
1. Put the logo on your blog;
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you;
3. Nominate 7 (minimum 5) other blogs;
4. Add links to them on your blog;
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blogs.

My choices are:

Tami's Kitchen Table Talk - Tami just started blogging but she's doing a fabulous job! I knew she would love it and am so glad, cuz she shares some awesome recipes :)

The Krazy Kraft Lady's Blog is run by Denise and she has some of the most awesome primitive designs, I just love them! My favorite has to be her sunflowers.

My Colonial Home is run by Karen, who I met via the blogging world. Turns out we live only a few miles from each other. Hopefully we can meet some day!

Mom's Fridge is Barb's blog, I've known Barb forever! We met through FC (FamilyCorner.com) and she is my head moderator over there. Barb is an incredible cook and I love checking out her menu plan each week!

Jeune Girl's Crafts has some awesome scrapbook layouts and she makes some of the most gorgeous letter books! Check them out!

Sassy Soaps n Such is run by the talented doll maker, Sandi Ramirez. Check out her blog and see what cute little creations she makes!

Football crafts!

2008-09-22T21:59:00.004-05:00

So it's Monday night and I am watching "Jet Favre" play against the San Diego Chargers and it's been a pretty exciting game... and I'm not a fan of either one! LOL I'm a Bears fan through and through, but I do love watching the game either way.

That got me thinking about some of the fun football crafts I've made over the last few years. The one you see pictured here was actually a birthday present for TJ's friend Bruce (TJ is my son modeling the shirt). I've included the instructions below. Look at the end for a few other fun football crafts too!

Football Star Shirt
by Amanda Formaro

What You Need:

t-shirt
cardboard, enough to fill inside of shirt
football foam stamp
star shaped foam stamps, at least 1, we used 3
alphabet foam stamps
paint brush
Tulip glitter gold paint
Tulip Extreme paint, Lunar Eclipse and Confetti Blue

fabric paint: brown, black, blue, light blue

OR

acrylic paint in same colors and
textile medium

What you do

Lay shirt flat on work surface. Insert cardboard inside the shirt.

If you are using fabric paint, continue to the next step. If you don't have fabric paint, textile medium can be added to acrylic paint to create the same effect. Mix together 1 part textile medium to 2 parts acrylic paint.

NOTE: You can change the colors used for this shirt to match your favorite team colors. We used black and blue as they were the child's favorite colors.

There is no pattern for this shirt, use the photo as a guide.

Using football stamp first, paint the stamp brown. Use a generous amount of paint, without it dripping off the stamp.

Carefully press the stamp onto the shirt, starting at the lower left and curving upward toward the right armpit. You will need to reapply the paint for each football impression. Don't press too hard, just enough pressure to be sure that all the paint goes onto the shirt. Carefully remove the stamp by lifting straight up into the air.

Next, use the alphabet stamps to write the child's name at the top. Place unpainted stamps in place. Once you have them positioned where you want them, begin painting and stamping with blue paint.

Use blue paint and stamp the words "Football Star" underneath the footballs.

Position the star stamps on the shirt. When you are happy with their position, paint and stamp. We did two black and two light blue.

Use Tulip gold glitter paint (comes in a tube) to carefully outline the letters of the child's name. Use glitter gold paint to outline one of the black stars as well.

Use Tulip Confetti Blue to outline the other black star and Lunar Eclipse to outline the two blue stars.

Allow to dry completely, overnight is best.

Caring for your shirt: For the longest life of your design, we recommend washing inside out in cold water. Drying takes its toll on paint, so for the longest life, hang to dry.

Have fun!

Here's a few more football crafts:

Salt Dough Football
Good Sport Foam Football - Very simple and good for little kids

I made these for Kaboose:
Game Day Door Hanger
Keep Score Chalkboard
Team Spirit Pins

Have any football crafts to share?

Paper Bag Apple Craft

2008-09-20T19:47:00.003-05:00

Since I shared our adventure to the apple orchard on my cooking blog today, I thought it would be appropriate to share a fun apple craft as well :) I made these stuffed paper bag apples 7 years ago. They are really cute. I originally made them to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, however altering them just a little would make a fun fall project. Just eliminate the "Class Act Apple" words from the apple to use these as autumn harvest decorations.

What you need

brown grocery bag
acrylic paint in brown, barnyard red, and buttermilk
toothbrush
paintbrush
fine tip black marker
pinking shears (or other decorative scissors)
gingham material scrap
decorative buttons with classroom motif (ruler, pencil sharpener, pencil, etc.)
barnyard red medium button
cotton batting (Fiberfil)
white craft glue
craft wire
pencil
raffia
pattern

What you do

Lay brown paper bag on flat work surface. Cut out two large sections from the front and back of the bag. Stack those sections, one on top of the other, then cut out and trace around the pattern onto the bags. Cut it out with the pinking shears.

Beginning at the bottom of the apple, use tacky glue to connect the two layers at the seams, stuffing the apple as you go with cotton batting (Fiberfil). Work your way around the edges, carefully stuffing (but not too much!) until apple is completely closed.

When the glue is dry, paint the decorative edges and the stem with brown and the apple with barnyard red (see photo). When dry, dip the bristle tips of a toothbrush into the buttermilk paint. Test your splattering ability on a piece of scrap paper before doing this on your apple. Hold toothbrush horizontally and drag your thumb across the bristles, causing the paint to splatter spots wherever you aim it. When you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and splatter some buttermilk paint on your apple.

When the buttermilk paint is dry, use the fine tip craft pen or marker to write the words "CLASS ACT!" in the center of the apple. Using white craft glue, adhere a square of gingham fabric to the upper right hand corner of the apple. Glue a couple of decorative school themed buttons to the lower left and lower center of the apple.

Cut a piece of craft wire long enough to wrap completely around your apple. This should be enough for your hanger. Find the middle of craft wire, wrap the middle section of the wire around a pencil about 6 or 7 times. Pull the pencil out to create the curl at the top of your hanger. Curve the wire into a hanger shape and poke each end carefully through the sides of the apple as shown in the photo. Use the skinny end of a small paintbrush to curl the ends of the wire that you poked through.

Tie a piece of raffia into a bow out onto the craft wire just before where the top curls begin. Hot glue the barnyard red button to the center of the raffia bow.

Note: It is not necessary to paint the back of the apple, though you may if you like.

Primary colors: If you prefer to use primary colors for your apple, use red for the apple, leave the decorative edges plain, use yellow decorative fabric, and primary colored decorative buttons. Use a white craft pen to write "CLASS ACT!" on your apple.

This craft was originally posted on FamilyCorner.com

Lighthouse & Sailboat painting

2008-09-17T15:59:00.004-05:00

I almost forgot about this last remnant from the store. This was a pattern I found in one of Judy's books. Judy is a friend of mine who also paints. We paint similar items but we paint in different styles. She's a "by the pattern" type painter while I am a "willy nilly" painter. I follow patterns, but I tend to blend and change things to my liking. Judy prefers to follow a pattern and paint things exactly as they say. Nothing wrong with either way! :) In fact I'm going to share some of the Judy's work with you below.

When I had my store, Judy would work there a couple times a week and in return I didn't charge her any rent space for her displays. She is the ideal pattern book painter. Everything looks perfect and she can make 20 of the same pattern and they will all look the same. Mine never come out the same LOL! I always admired that about Judy, how she could paint things so perfectly. She used to always tell me how she wished she could come up with patterns like I could, so we decided to combine two talents. I created patterns and she painted them. Here are a few examples of my creations painted my my friend Judy.

Now THIS one I did not design. The pattern came from a book and Judy painted these on tin ceiling tiles. Isn't it fabulous?? She sold it for $20. I should have bought it!

Tree Frogs & Lighthouses

2008-09-16T21:08:00.005-05:00

Ah the tree frogs. Years ago when I had my store, I found a photo of two tree frogs with a black background. I don't know why, but I just loved that photo. I traced the outline of the frogs and built my pattern from that. I painted the frogs onto this jar, adding flowers and grass blades. I'm not sure why, but out of all the patterns that I created on my jars, this one received the most orders. The first one took me forever, the second one wasn't nearly as bad, and eventually I got to where I could paint them in a snap. I don't even know if I have the patterns anymore! Anyway, that's the story behind the frogs :)

Two more jars that I always liked were these lighthouses. Again, I found a photo and created a pattern from those. The lighthouses were really out of my element so they were quite a challenge. The black and white one is Cape Hatteras, NJ, they actually MOVED that lighthouse from one location to another, just like how they move a house. The other one is Start Point in Dartmouth, England. I did sell both of those jars, now I wish I hadn't. They would fit nicely in my bathroom now LOL

Shabby Chic Cottage Garden Bench

2008-09-16T07:02:00.006-05:00

When I owned my store it was in this quaint little town full of antique shops. The shops were all buildings from the mid 1800s and were all houses at one time. The "house" next to me had this single white picnic table bench sitting in the backyard. So I asked the neighbor if I could have it. It was cool because it was already aged from being out in the elements for several years, so I had a head start. :)

I found a pretty pattern of a cottage in a garden setting and went to town painting it. When it was done, I displayed it right near the front door where anyone coming in could see it. I received many compliments, but no buyers, so I kept it. I remember being really annoyed when this one woman came in, said "Oh what a pretty bench" and that proceeded to plop her fat butt down on it to tie her shoe! The audacity! LOL I thought it was really rude to sit down on my painting. :-P As you can see from the photo, I still have it and keep it in my front yard. I have had it as a decoration in my house too. It'll have to come in for winter soon.

Here's a close up...

Here's a close up of the cottage...

Also, I've started a new blog today, but haven't made it pretty yet. I'm going to post all my menu plans and recipes over there instead of here, so I can keep this one all crafts and such. :) It's called Amanda's Cookin' and I hope to post in that daily as well. Today I will post this week's menu plan as well as the recipe for Chocolate Orange Cake and the Italian Pot Roast (slow cooker) we had last night.

:)

My rustic country paintings - lots of pics

2008-09-15T07:15:00.023-05:00

Wow, I stumbled across these photos yesterday. These are painting I did when I still owned my store, Amanda's Attic, in Richmond, IL. I was surprised to see that I still had the photos of the store too. Man I really miss that store. I'm so sad that it didn't work out. That town was just Deadsville, no customers, and when there were they were just looky-loos. So sad.

I used to love to sit behind the counter, paint on whatever I could get my hands on, and enjoy the smells of handmade soaps, hand poured candles and freshly dried herbs. The store was so cozy and comfy and we spent so much time remodeling it. Alas, it is now an Italian restaurant, probably the only business that is doing well in Richmond. That's a sad thing too, it's a quaint little Victorian town full of antique shops that used to bustle with people every weekend. Not anymore, so much like a ghost town now.

Ah well, I digress. Here's some of my painting from days gone by:

This particular painting is a pattern I had borrowed from a friend. I painted it on this little metal tray and on a washboard, both items found in a thrift store. I remember scouring the thrift stores for items to paint on. I miss those days! I'm too darn busy now to even think about doing this again, at least not now. *sigh*

This cat painting was also from a pattern. I loved this and did end up selling it, but for how much, probably $15? It's terrible what I had to let things go for. :( I don't know if things have changed now, I've thought about checking out Etsy, but I know that's a crapshoot too.

This bottle lamp is a pattern I drew myself. It's crackled and would have looked fabulous either in a Tuscany setting or even shabby chic. I kept this bottle lamp for a really long time and finally sold it on craigslist a year ago. I gave one away to one of my friends as a gift as well.

Oh these plates! These were two plate left over from my mother's china. Most of the collection was broken during a careless move, but these two survived. I painted them both and gave the swing plate to my brother, I kept the cottage for myself. Then the cottage plate was accidentally broken a couple of years ago :( I actually don't know if my brother still has his.

These prim blocks were fun. They were just blocks left over from building our deck, so I painted on them.

This little box I bought at the dollar store. I had some horrible tasting candy in it that I threw out, peeled off the label and went to town. I really liked this box.

Oh now this I absolutely loved! it was such a fun pattern. Wish I could say I came up with this myself but I can't. It was from a book, it was so fun to paint and the results were awesome. I should have just kept it instead of selling it. Ah well.

I would say if I had a favorite pattern that I have created myself, it was this rooster. Again, wish I would have just kept this. I found a picture of a rooster in a magazine and created the pattern based off of that. Man I loved this! I painted it on a pie plate and sold it for $20. What's wrong with me??

I drew this one myself too, and again, it's on a pie plate. I really liked this one too.

I'll be honest I can't remember if this one was from a pattern book or not, but I think it was. I believe a friend of mine bought this one :)

Now this stool I still have. I had it for sale for $60. Everyone that came into the store raved on and on about it, but no one would buy it. I'm glad though. it's in my garage right now, but it took my 5.5 hours to paint that, there's no way I would have let it go for less. The scene is from a pattern book, it's called Marblehead, MA.

Wow that was a lot of pictures, did you make it this far? LOL I only have 2 other remnants from that store in the past. I still have a cottage garden bench I painted and my store sign. Gotta keep those memories!

Roast Chicken & mini muffins

2008-09-14T15:40:00.007-05:00

I made roast chicken last night for dinner. It was very good, but why can't I carve a chicken? I swear it looks like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre when I get done with it! Poor thing all sprawled out on the cutting board, hacked into pieces. LOL Anyway, it was delicious. I placed it on a rack in a roasting pan, rubbed it with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic powder. I also made homemade stuffing, so made sure I filled the bird well. I poured half a can of chicken broth into the pan and covered with foil. Baked at 325 F for an hour, removed the foil and continued cooking till 175 internal temp (another hour and a half). Served with mashed potatoes, stuffing, chicken gravy and corn. Yum!

I don't know about your kids, but mine love those little mini muffins you buy in the store. You know the ones, they come in packages of 4 or 5 muffins, about 4 packages per box and they are almost $4 a box. :-O Needless to say I don't buy them all that often. However, WalMart has these handy dandy little muffin mixes, all you add is half a cup of milk, and they cost about 85 cents each. I could have gotten more muffins per batch, but chose to fill the muffin tins almost all the way full instead of 2/3. I know, I know, making them from scratch would have been even cheaper, but these were quick and it's the first time I'm going to attempt sending them with lunches or as a quickie breakfast. I figured that they cost me about half of what the packaged ones cost. I made lemon poppy seed, apple cinnamon, chocolate chocolate chip, and regular chocolate chip. After they cooled I put them in zipper sandwich bags with 3-4 muffins in each.

Tomorrow I will post the Chocolate Orange Cake I made this week. It's very good but should probably be kept in the refrigerator, mine ended up falling apart after sitting in the cake container on the counter. The last few pieces are in the fridge now.

Till tomorrow!

Fall Crafts and Pumpkin & Eyeball Cake Balls!

2008-09-12T21:18:00.007-05:00

This week I've been working on adding new fall crafts and recipes for kids. I asked Tami to make some fun cake balls for the season, pumpkins (below) and spooky eyeballs! They are fabulous as usual. I hope to have an FC newsletter out on Tuesday, but I have a lot more crafts to make for Kaboose too. Next I'm working on Christmas, Hannukah and winter crafts for them. I have quite a few projects to do!

Tomorrow I will be posting the recipe for Chocolate Orange Cake that I made today. It was absolutely delicious! I promise to shoot and pic and post it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here's a sneak peek at what's been recently added to FC for fall, as well as some time tested favorites.

Pumpkin Cake Balls (pictured at right) - Dressed in bright orange and green, these little pumpkins will look charming decorating a party table. Add an icing face to them and they'll turn into jack o' lanterns, making them a irresistible favors for your Halloween party guests.

Plastic Cup Crow - So many scarecrow crafts, but what about the crows? As autumn rolls in and farmers work on their harvest, the crows will be looking for free goodies. Make this cute little crow to celebrate fall!

Coffee Filter Sunflowers - Some of my favorite crafts are ones created with items that are often found around the house. This big, beautiful sunflower is a great example. All you need are coffee filters, crayons, scissors and a glue stick!

Bottle Pumpkin - Kids will love putting these super easy pumpkins together. Make a whole bunch of them to decorate for a Halloween party or to set out on the porch! This makes a fun classroom or party project.

Bug Village - Here's a great craft for almost NO money! All you need are a few sticks, some acorn tops, rocks, and imagination! These darling little critters have a home of their own in this cute craft.

Craft Stick Fall Tree - This simple craft is a great way to celebrate the coming of fall, even for the younger set. No patterns are required, just sticks, foam or felt and a little imagination.

Football Star Shirt - Is your child a budding football star? Maybe you have big football fans in your family? This shirt is an ideal gift and a really fun project for game day. Whether a fan or a player, your kids will love it!

Paper Bag Tree - Grab a brown paper lunch bag and some Autumn colored tissue paper to make this easy and fun tree that appears to be blowing in the wind. A fun craft to make with your children this Fall season.

Salt Dough Football - It's football season! Here's a fun craft to keep your kids busy during the game. Make this fun mini football into a magnet for the fridge or even a good luck charm for watching the game!

Salt Dough Pumpkin Patch - Salt dough is a great medium for fun and creative crafting. Take this sparkly pumpkin patch for instance! Salt dough recipes aren't just for kids. Make these fun and festive pumpkins this Fall for your holiday decorating.

Enjoy!

Fall Recipes for Kids

2008-09-11T09:56:00.003-05:00

All the kids are back to school. Moms everywhere are looking for fun and different things to add to the kiddo's lunch boxes. FamilyCorner has added quite a few fun goodies from their resident kid's recipe expert, Tami Rose. Here's links to a bunch of yummy goodies your kids are sure to love!

Sandwich Kabobs (pictured at right) - Kids will love finding these kabobs in their lunchboxes. They are the perfect size for little hands, making a lot less mess to clean up afterwards. Made from all of their favorite sandwich ingredients, moms can rest assured that their kids are eating healthy and not trading with their friends for something else!

Breakfast Pizza - Get the kids to the table in no time in the morning... tell them you're making pizza for breakfast. Within 30 minutes you'll be serving a warm, delicious breakfast that the whole family will enjoy.

Bite Size Zucchini Muffins - Serve these muffins as a quick, on-the-go breakfast, a lunchbox treat or an after school snack. There's so much flavor packed into these little snacks that your kids won't even know that they are eating something with a vegetable in them!

4 Favorite Kid Friendly Trail Mixes - I haven't met a kid that wouldn't gladly eat some dried fruit and nuts when it was mixed in among some of his/her other favorite snack foods. These trail mixes are easy to bag into single servings for lunches, after school snacks, or even for traveling.

30 Healthier Snack Ideas for Kids - It's time for the kids to head back to school. When they come home each afternoon have healthier snacks waiting so that they don't grab for potato chips or cookies. Our members shared their ideas for fun and tasty snacks that are much better than the prepackaged ones that are so easy to grab. A little forethought will get them eating better and they'll thank you for it.

Cheesy Corn Dog Muffins - Packed into a lunchbox or eaten as an after school snack, these muffins taste just like your kids' favorite corn dogs - without the awkward stick. They're quick and easy to make and can be eaten hot or cold. Yummy!

Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - The scent of oatmeal raisin cookies wafting through the house is a sure sign that fall is on its way! Greet your kids after school with a plate of warm cookies and a big glass of milk. This will surely put smiles on their faces.

There are quite a few more available here.

Creamy Orange Cake

2008-09-10T21:37:00.004-05:00

Mmmmmmm!

If you like orange dreamsicles you will love this cake :) It was delish, but you do need to keep it refrigerated due to the gelatin and whipping topping. Let me know if you try it, I had saved the recipe from some booklet ages ago and finally was able to try it.

Creamy Orange Cake

1 cup boiling water
1 box (4 serving size) orange flavored gelatin
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix (I used generic)
3/4 cup frozen (thawed) orange juice concentrate
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
4 egg whites
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker Whipped vanilla frosting
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Heat oven 350 F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325 F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9 inch pan with baking spray with flour. In small bowl, mix boiling water and gelatin until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1/4 cup of the gelatin mixture, 1/4 cup of the orange juice concentrate, the oil, water and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. Reserve remaining gelatin mixture and orange juice concentrate.

note: I bolded the measurements above because they need to be divided from the original measurements. You use the rest in a later step.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Poke warm cake every inch with fork. Place 1 tablespoon of the reserved gelatin mixture in microwavable custard cup or small bowl; set aside. Into remaining gelatin mixture, stir remaining 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate; pour slowly over cake. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour.

In medium bowl, gently stir together frosting and whipped topping; frost cake. Microwave 1 tablespoon gelatin mixture uncovered on High 10 seconds to liquefy. Using 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon, place small drops of gelatin mixture over frosting. With spoon or toothpick, swirl gelatin into frosting. Store covered in the refrigerator.

The next cake I am trying is called Chocolate Orange Cake. Didn't have time today, was making more crafts for Kaboose. maybe tomorrow! :)