Large Decorative Borax Crystals

Many years ago when I was a cub scout leader, I had the boys try a popular science experiment of growing crystals using Borax.  We just used a string dangling in a Borax/water mixture to form crystals.  There was nothing elaborate about it - no dyes or chenille stems. And I really don't remember even boiling the water.  The crystals formed and the boys were surprised by the results. I wasn't into crafts back then.  Things have certainly changed.  While skimming through Pinterest a few days ago, I came across a picture of a beautiful handmade turquoise crystal made with Borax. I couldn't believe how pretty it looked!  So I had to see for myself and try it out. Just google Borax crystals and you'll find lots of info on how to make.  Here's what I did.

Materials needed:

Twenty Mule Team Borax

Water

Food coloring

3qt heatproof glass container

Measuring cup

Chenille stems/pipe cleaners

Twine/string

Dowel Rod

Cardboard

Begin by forming a base of chenille stems for the crystals to form on. I wanted a bowl shape so I first made a circle of fuzzy (what I had) chenille stems and then wrapped the circle with more stems, leaving very little space in-between. Finally, I shaped the sides upward and around like a bowl. Then I tied thin twine on one end and connected the other end to the middle of a dowel rod.

Next, pour 2 quarts of water into container and bring to a boil. 

Then add food coloring. I used the chart on the box for mixing purple.  I wanted the deepest color I could get so I used most of the red and mixed it with blue. I dipped folded paper towels in the mixture to see the shades of purple. 

Satisfied with the color, add two cups of Borax and stir to dissolve. Continue adding Borax until it stops dissolving and no more can be saturated. You will see undissolved bits floating.

Dip the chenille stem form into the solution to saturate .  .  .

and then dip it in again, resting the rod on top of the container and making sure the bottom and sides of the form are not touching the glass.

Turn off the heat and cover with a piece of cardboard to prevent heat from escaping.  Allow to cool naturally and undisturbed overnight.

Pull the crystal form out the next morning, draining off excess liquid back into the container.

All I can say is, WOW!

Allow to dry completely on a paper towel. 

Cut off attached twine.

To prevent moisture and heat deteriorating the crystals, apply a clear gloss sealant, and it should last for years. 

I'm really impressed and amazed how beautiful the crystals are! Can't wait to make more! 

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy -

Happy Crafting!

How To Make a Tulle Dress Bow Holder

Hi everybody! Did you know March is National Craft Month?  For me, every month is national craft month, but today, in anticipation of this wonderful event, I'm over on Bowdabrablog.com celebrating and sharing with you how to make an adorable bow holder!  This is something every girlie girl needs for her growing collection of hair bows and accessories and .  .  . it looks great, and also makes for a lovely gift, too!  So head on over to get the full tutorial! 

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy -

Happy Crafting!

Searching for Treats - A Bunny Butt Craft

We all know bunny butts are cute and adorable!  Who can resist smiling at that popular commercial with the bunny beating a drum and its' butt twitching to the beat? So why not bring a touch of whimsy to your home décor this Easter season by displaying an easy to make duo of bunny butts in search for their favorite treats!  And the best part, it's really quick to make, too!

You will need:

Paper pulp basket or container of your choice
Acrylic paint/brush

Styrofoam balls - two different sizes

Fleece
Poly-fil

Chenille stems
Bunny feet template
Scissors. needle and thread

Felt

Pom Poms
Hot glue

Floral grass

Faux carrots

I recycled a biodegradable basket that contained organic tomatoes and .  .  .

painted it with a shade of pearl purple paint. Then added a bit of floral grass.

Next, wrap fleece around a Styrofoam ball and secure with a chenille stem.  Cut off excess fleece.

Wrap the smaller ball the same way.

 . Push some of the grass aside where the balls should go and insert. Glue on a pom pom slightly below the middle of each ball.

Next, copy and paste bunny feet template to word and adjust size in format, if needed. Print  and cut out the feet pattern on a folded piece of fleece. 

With right sides together, hand-stitch fleece edge leaving an opening.  Turn inside out, and lightly stuff with poly-fil.  Close opening with an invisible stitch. 

Cut out pads in felt and glue on top of feet. 

Glue on bunny feet upside down to edge of container.

And finally, place faux carrots in grass for an adorable look!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy -

Happy Crafting!

Hot Glue Shamrock Brooches

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The following is a re-post of an earlier one - St Patrick's Day crafts never goes out of style!

Do you think you will be looking for something green to wear on St Paddy's Day to avoid getting pinched?  Say what now?  You know as the old saying goes .  .  .  people who wear green on that day are invisible to leprechauns and fairy creatures who would pinch anyone they could see, that is, anyone not wearing green.  

Why not pinch-proof yourself by making an adorable green brooch to wear made out of hot glue?  It's so quick and easy to do!

You will need:

Shamrock template

Hot glue gun/glue

Craft foam sheets

Scissors

Rhinestones/crystals

Pin back/E6000 glue

Instructions:

• Trace shamrock onto a craft foam sheet. I used two different kinds, plain green and glitter green.

Using Plain Green Foam Sheet

• Outline the pattern with hot glue - I found it's best to start with a well heated hot glue gun so that the glue flows easily.  Also, I had to "help" the glue stick by pushing down on it to try to keep the flow even.  I used a cheap glue gun and I could have had a steadier hand but it takes practice for me to keep the lines even.

• Fill in the rest of the shamrock with hot glue.

Using Green Glitter Foam Sheet

• While glue is still hot, add rhinestones/crystals and allow to cool.

• Once cooled, cut shamrock out.

 Sorry about the air bubbles but that's the beauty of handcrafted items - there're always imperfections!

• Apply pin fastener to back using E6000.  The glitter foam sheet had an adhesive backing so I removed the paper and placed interfacing on the sticky surface before adding the pin.

Cute, cute, cute!

These hot glue shamrock brooches are some of the cutest pieces of jewelry you can make to help celebrate the luckiest day of the year and be pinch-proof, too!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy -

Happy Crafting!

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Let's Make Penguins - An Easy Snowy Day Craft

Little kids and not so little kids look forward to indoor crafts when the weather is cold and snowy!  I know I do!  Everyone loves penguins - it's just something about them - could it be their waddle, or little faces or their black and white coloring?  I just know they are so cute and fun to watch! 

This adorable penguin craft is made using items you can find at the dollar store or around your home, like socks, scarf, felt and bottles!  And it's a cute and easy craft for both adults and children alike -  perfect for those cold snowy days and any in-between time during the winter months!

Begin by gathering the following materials:

Socks

Milk or water bottle

Fleece scarf

Felt (black, white, orange) 

Googly eyes

Penguin Template

Scissors

Fabri-Tac glue or hot glue

Save as, or copy the penguin template .  .  .

and cut out in felt. Glue on the smaller like pieces on top of the larger ones for the feet and wings.

Next, pull the sock over the bottle .  .  .

 and twist the sock* top around and down over the bottle. *This way you're saving the socks in case you want to wear them later. Lol!

Glue on the body and then .  .  .

 the feet.

For the hat, cut out a 7 1/2" square from the fleece scarf.

Run a bead of glue along one side .  .  .

 and fold over creating a tube.

Turn the tube inside out, cuffing one end and gathering opposite end, just below edge and tying.  

Try on hat over the sock bottle and adjust to fit down, just before tip of body.

Glue on eyes, beak and wings.

 How adorable is this!

To finish, cut a narrow strip of fleece and tie around penguin, just below beak and over top of wings.

Have fun making a companion or more!

This is cuteness overload!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy -

Happy Crafting!