Easter & Spring Crafts for Lil' Smarties

By Rachel H

The TSP Team had a great time demonstrating the following crafts on Fox 8 Morning News yesterday. A big thank you to Fox 8 for giving us the opportunity and to Judith Long, Marybeth Barrett, and Joy Blaser for their adorable crafts! For those of you who missed us, or for those of you who would like more details on the crafts ... read below! We hope you can enjoy these simple and unique crafts with your children over Spring Break!


Paper Lanterns - by Joy Blaser

Supplies:
Watercolor paper
Watercolor paints
Vegetable Oil
Glue
Mason jar (or empty pasta jar)
Tealight Candle

Paint the paper however you like with watercolor paints, covering as much of the paper as possible. After the paint dries, brush the entire paper lightly with vegetable oil and allow to dry for a few hours. Glue in a circle (this takes a while as well), then cut 2 inch slits in the bottom of the circle and fold in and glue so that the lantern has a bottom. Place a mason jar inside the lantern and place a tealight candle in the glass jar.

Check out more crafts from Joy on her blog www.anartfamily.com.




Easter Egg Soap
- by Judith Long
Supplies:
Wilton Silicone molds (Wal-Mart)
Microwavable Measuring Cup
Dinner knife
Melt & Pour (Glycerin) Soap (A. C. Moore)
Food Coloring
Fragrance Oils (A. C. Moore)

Wilton Silicone mold, Melt & Pour soap, and fragrance oils can all be purchased online at Wholesale Supplies Plus (www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com).

Take 1 – 2 ounces of melt and pour soap and cut into small pieces and place in measuring cup. Having the soap pieces uniform helps, but it is not mandatory.
Please measuring cup in microwave for about 1 minute or until soap melts.
Add a drop or two of food coloring.
Add a ½ teaspoon of fragrance oil.
Stir and pour into silicone mold.
Let mold sit until soap solidifies.
Pop soap out of mold and package.

See soaps and other products made by Judith's family at www.longfamilyfarmsoaps.com!


Decoupage Switch Plate Covers - By Marybeth Barrett

Let’s take your boring, plain old switch plate covers from Blah to Ta Dah! Add a little color and instant art to your room with this simple decoupage project.
Supplies:
Decoupage glue – I use Mod Podge
Foam brushes
Craft knife
Screwdriver
Decorative Paper: Scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, color copies, magazines, fabric, etc.
Scissors
Electrical tape (optional)
Wax Paper
Thin paint brush or pencil
Sponge, soap and water

Preparing the Switch Plate
Buy new switch plate covers at your local Home Improvement Store. Or, reuse what you have by removing the old switch plate from the wall and set the screws aside. (SAFETY FIRST: Parents will have to help with this first step) For plastic switch plates, clean the plate with soap and water or household cleaner. If the plate is wooden, wipe clean with a damp cloth and allow it to dry.

Decoupage the Switch Plate
Once you have decided how to decorate your switch plate, trace the switch plate cover onto your decorative paper of choice and add an extra ¼” or more. Cut out the design(s) from your wrapping paper, fabric or photos.

Protect your work area with wax paper. Place your decorative paper face down on wax paper. Glue the back of the paper and then paste the design onto the center of the switch plate, covering the light making sure you are centered on the switch hole. Fold around it the edges over the back of the plate and glue them down as if you are wrapping a present, folding the corners in on an angle to keep them sharp and tidy. Glue the edges down to the back of the plate.

Once the design is in place, use the craft knife to cut open the design through the light switch hole. Cut diagonally from corner to corner in the shape of an “X” through the center of the hole. You should now have 4 triangle flaps inside the hole. Fold each flap to the back of the switch plate and secure. You have two options: 1. Use a very small piece of electrical tape. 2. You can try gluing the flaps to the back, but with such a small piece of paper or fabric to work with, it may not hold properly; tape is easier.

Next, poke small holes through the paper where the screws go using the end of a thin paint brush or a pencil.

Now that the design is secured onto the plate, cover the entire design and the back edges with a layer of decoupage glue using the foam brush. Allow this to dry and then add another layer of glue to seal the design. You can add one more layer for good measure…this makes it user friendly and you are able to wipe of dirty little fingerprints down the road.

Let dry completely before putting your switch plate back on the wall.
Clean your brushes using soap and water.
Voila, your switch plate covers went from BLAH to TA DAH!
Plastic switch plates are very inexpensive so you can change them out with the season!

More Advanced Options & Ideas:
If you really want to get creative, you can personalize them with your name. Simply use ink and rubber stamps or stickers before you seal the paper with the first coat of ModPodge.
Use your own personal photos. Either print photos on a laser printer or copier to prevent the ink from smudging. Use color or black and white. You can even add your name or great quotes to the image before printing. Follow the same steps listed above.

For more DIY projects by Marybeth, please visit http://www.addressingspaces.com/.




Yarn Sheep - by Joy Blaser

Supplies:
Cardboard
Clothespins
Paint
Fuzzy Yarn

Cut out an oval shape from a cardboard box. Paint one end of the oval brown or black (or pink, as my daughter did) for the face. Paint two clothespins to match the color of your sheep. Attach these as the feet. Wrap fluffy yarn around many times until he looks sheep-like.




Decoupage Easter Eggs - By Marybeth Barrett

Embellish your Easter Eggs with some festive and seasonal images. For more dimension…go 3-D!

Supplies:
Decoupage glue – I use Mod Podge
Easter Eggs (I used the ornament kind found at Home Goods, Timex, Joann’s, etc. because they were pre-painted. But, if you are feeling adventurous, you can get plain ones to paint yourself)
Foam brushes
Small scissors
Decorative Paper: Scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, color copies, magazines, fabric etc. (I used butterflies found on the internet and printed them on a color laser)
Wax Paper
Sponge, soap and water
Glitter and Q-Tip (Optional)

Step 1
Protect your work surface with wax paper. Use the small scissors to cut out your image. Do not leave any border, cut along the outline of your image.

Step 2
To attach a flat butterfly: Once cut, lay your image face down on the wax paper. Coat the back of your image with decoupage using a foam brush. Place the image on your Easter egg face up. Smooth out any air bubbles. Protect with a couple of coats of Mod Podge, allowing it to dry in between coats.
Step 3

Attach a 3-D butterfly: Once cut, Fold the cutout along midline. I usually make two folds leaving about 1/8” in the center so there is more flat surface to glue. Apply glue to the flat, folded surface and adhere it to the egg. If you want to make it double sided, just glue two butterfly images back to back. Let dry.

For a little more bling, add some glitter before you adhere the image to the egg. Coat the edges of your image with Mod Podge using a Q-Tip for more precision. Sprinkle with glitter and shake off the excess.
Let dry.
Hang your eggs or display them in baskets to enjoy.

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Posted by Triad Smarty Pants at 5:00 AM