Saturday, June 23, 2007

Sherri's Helpful Hints





Cute Crafts for Adults

Candy Kiss Roses

For each flower:
2 kisses
1 square colored plastic wrap
Wire
Floral tape

Put the two kisses together with flat bottoms touching. Put tip of one kiss in the center of the square of wrap and pull wrap down around the kisses. Put a wire up next to the kisses. Pull the wrap down over part of the wire and wrap floral tape around starting at the tip of the bottom kiss. Tape securely. Once you make the first one or two and get the technique down they go very quickly. These make a wonderful bouquet.

Easy Potpourri Gel

1 cup concentrated liquid potpourri
2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatine
Empty jar

Heat potpourri until almost to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 envelopes of gelatine. Stir to dissolve gelatine and pour into clean decorative jar. Place piece of plastic wrap over jar and secure with rubber band. Either place in refrigerator for quick set or leave out overnight on counter. Cover with piece of starched "lace" and wrap with ribbon to decorate.

Before using, remove plastic wrap and recover jar with lace cover.

Draft Stopper

This pattern is for a 36-inch wide door. If your door is wider, adjust measurements accordingly.

45-inch wide tightly-woven fabric
Thread
Play sand or kitty litter for filling
Wash and dry fabric.

Cut fabric to measure 8 x 41 inches. Stack the two fabrics, one on top of the other. You will work both layers of fabric as one. Baste both pieces together 1/4-inch from the raw edges. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together, to form a 4x41-inch tube. Using a very short machine stitch, sew 1/2-inch seams on the raw edge of one short end, and then along the long raw edge, leaving one 4-inch end open for filling later.

Repeat the stitching using 1/4-inch seams. This helps prevent leakage of the filling material. Turn right sides out. Use a yard stick to push all corners out and smooth. Pour kitty litter or play sand into the tube, leaving 1-inch from your unsewn end empty. Turn in 1/2-inch of raw edges on end. Top stitch this seam closed or slip stitch using very small stitches and then repeating to prevent any leakage.

Bird Bath

1 (12-inch) clay pot
1 (14-inch) clay pot
1 (16-inch) clay pot
1 (18- to 20-inch diameter) clay saucer
Silicone adhesive
Caulking gun
Acrylic paints and brushes
Stencils, sponges, etc.
Sea shells, mosaic tiles or stones
Grout
Glue
Clear satin polyurethane

NOTE: If you plan to paint the bird bath, paint the pots and saucer before assembly. Let dry completely, then proceed with the following instructions:

Depending on the sizes and numbers of pots used, different looking birdbaths can be made.

Invert pots and stack them together, with the largest clay pot on the bottom. Place the large clay saucer upside down on the top.

Glue the pots together using silicone adhesive. Attach saucer to top pot with the silicone adhesive, making sure it is centered and level.

If desired, decorate the bird bath using a foam brush, sponges or stencils.

Glue shells or mosaics onto the birdbath, then apply grout between the shells (or mosaic tiles or stones). When all is dry, cover the painted and grouted surfaces with several layers of polyurethane or acrylic sealer.

Tip: You may want to weight the bottom pot with gravel to give it more weight.


Courtesy of Recipe Goldmine

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