Crafts Archives - Page 2 of 39 - Average But Inspired

September 30, 2019 by Bre

Halloween Skull Decoration: Make a Mini Halloween Cloche!

The spookiest time of year is almost here again! Get ready to pull out those Halloween decorations and deck the halls for trick-or-treaters. And of course, don’t forget to make time for some Halloween crafting! This year, Halloween skull decorations are all the rage, and I’m going to show you how to make a mini Halloween cloche with Dollar Tree plastic skulls. It’s a piece of Halloween decor that’s cute and creepy all at the same time!

This Halloween skull decoration is pint sized, which makes it totally perfect for any little spot in your home or office that needs a tiny dash of Halloween. Think shelves, entryway tables, window sills, and more!

I need small and discreet Halloween decorations this year so I can easily stash them away for house showings. (We’re moving! Read up on our unexpected life change here.) This is just right!

Also, because this Halloween cloche is miniature (well, mini as compared to a regular-sized cloche, but not fairy garden mini!), you can make the whole thing in about 20 minutes. Not bad!

Supplies Needed to Make a Mini Skull Halloween Cloche

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Unfinished wood candle holder
Empty baby food jar or 4 oz. small mason jar
Acrylic craft paint in black and silver
Paint brush
Spanish moss (from Dollar Tree)
Mini skulls (from Dollar Tree)
High-temperature hot glue gun OR E6000 glue
Optional: small unfinished wood furniture buttons

How to Make a Mini Skull Cloche For Halloween Decor

Begin by getting your paints and paint brush ready! Paint the unfinished wood candle holder, the mason jar rim (or baby food jar lid), and the unfinished wood furniture button with the black acrylic paint.

Chances are that the black paint won’t cover the rim of the mason jar very well (even with multiple coats), but that is OK! Let some of that silver color underneath show through – it adds to the look!

Once the black paint dries on all of those pieces, lightly dab some silver metallic craft paint or acrylic paint onto the wooden pieces. You can also add some silver paint to the mason jar lid if it needs it. Mine did not.

Let the silver paint dry and then use hot glue (only with a high temperature hot glue gun) or use a glue made for plastic and wood (like E6000), to attach the mason jar lid to the wood candle holder.

Place a little Spanish moss inside the lid, and be careful not to put too much in. You can hot glue the moss to the lid if you like, or leave it loose. (You might like to see how I used this same Spanish moss to make my fake fiddle leaf fig tree look real!)

Then pop a miniature skull on top of the moss. You can also hot glue the skull onto the moss if you want a more stable skull. 🙂 (That sounds so funny.)

Now, screw the mason jar onto the lid and trim off any Spanish moss that sticks out the sides. If you choose to add the little wooden button to the top, go ahead and glue that on now.

Once that glue is hardened or set, your adorable mini Halloween cloche is complete!

This is one Halloween skull decoration that you definitely want to add to your haunted house this year!

-Bre

September 13, 2019 by Bre

How to Press Flowers in a Book

My sister got married in July and she had the most beautiful bouquets and flower centerpieces. I loved my matron-of-honor bouquet so much that I decided to create a wedding keepsake with some of the flowers in my bouquet. It turned out wonderfully, so I decided to show you how to press flowers in a book in case you have any flowers you want to preserve in the future!

Before I show you how I pressed and preserved flowers from my bouquet, let me show you what it looked like on the wedding day! Filled with peonies, roses, dahlia, eucalyptus, dusty miller, and other beautiful flowers I don’t know the names of (LOL!), my bouquet was really a stunner!

To get a perfectly preserved look, here’s what I did.

How to Press Flowers in a Book

First, I kept the bouquet in a vase of water for five days after the wedding. I wanted to enjoy the flowers as long as I could while they were still fresh-looking.

On the fifth day, I took them out of the vase and disassembled the bouquet. (Note: if you try this, five days may be too long to wait. It depends entirely on how fresh the flowers are that you’re working with. You don’t want to wait so long that they start to brown. Make sure to begin the flower pressing process before that happens.)

I selected several flowers that I liked best and that were freshest, and decided to use those for my flower pressing experiment.

Next, I cut up sheets of tissue paper – just regular tissue paper used to wrap gifts – and got them ready to go. I laid the flowers and pieces of greenery on each piece of tissue paper to make sure that none of the flowers or leaves were overlapping. I then laid the piece of tissue paper with the flowers or leaves in a book.

I covered the leaves or flowers with another piece of tissue paper of the same size. I did this to make sure not to let acids from the leaves or flowers destroy the book, or to let any print from the book transfer onto the flowers or leaves.

Now, here’s the part I completely forgot to photograph! (Unbelievable.) Once I had the flowers and leaves in their tissue paper layers, I closed the books and did two things to make sure they actually pressed.

First, I placed one of the books underneath two heavy vases so that the pressure from the vases really kept the book closed and the flowers pressing.

Second, I took four ponytail holders (or rubber bands) and stretched them around the other book to hold it closed tightly.

I waited about four weeks and when I opened the books to check on my flowers and leaves, I was excited to find that both methods of flower pressing worked perfectly! Both the “stacking heavy objects on top of the book” method and “closing the book with ponytail holders” method were successful!

The flowers were dry, maintained their colors, and were totally pressed.

How to Make Pressed Flower Art

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Since the flower pressing process went so great, I had to figure out what to do with my pressed and dried flowers. I ultimately decided to put them into small shadowboxes so that they could be displayed on a shelf or in another small spot. I could have done a larger artistic arrangement, but I didn’t really want that commitment of putting them on a large wall.

In order to get the flowers in the shadowboxes, I used rubber cement (yes, regular old rubber cement!), and a cotton swab to dab a tiny bit of rubber cement on the back of each flower or leaf. Remember what they taught your kids about glue in preschool: “dot, dot, not a lot”? Make that your mantra here!

Rubber cement is really cheap, so that’s awesome. If you don’t have rubber cement or don’t like the smell, you could try a different acid free glue. I’m sure there are lots of options at any craft store.

After the glue dried, the back of my first shadowbox looked like this:

I used the rest of the pressed flowers to fill up the other shadow box, and I’m happy to say that my pressed flower art looks lovely in my office.

The glare on the glass was pretty severe in this spot, so I snapped some photos of the dried flower art in a less sunny location as well.

I love how special and meaningful these dried and pressed flowers are – making them even more beautiful to me!

How to Make 3D Dried Flower Art

Now, I know that this post is all about how to press flowers, but I also want to tell you that there is a way to dry and preserve flowers in 3D form – including entire bouquets!

The company I used to work for, ACTÍVA Products, makes a product called Flower Drying Art, which is a silica gel that dries and preserves flowers over time or even in the microwave. It’s completely reusable because you can re-charge the silica gel crystals, so you can dry as many flowers as you want, all with one package. Plus, it helps the flowers retain their color instead of turning brown and crusty like they can when simply air dried.

I don’t have any photos of projects I made for this blog using the product, but I used it many times during the course of my work with ACTÍVA, and I promise that it’s easy to use and gives great results. Professional wedding bouquet preservationists (yes, there are such a thing!) even use Flower Drying Art to preserve bouquets for clients.

So, if a 3D flower art project or bouquet preservation is something you’re interested in, you might want to try Flower Drying Art.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you on pressing flowers in a book. I hope it was helpful to you! Let me know if you’re going to try pressing and preserving some flowers. I hope they turn out beautifully!

-Bre

September 5, 2019 by Bre

20 Unique Pumpkin Crafts

Pumpkins are a fall decorating staple, and rightfully so! They come in a multitude of colors, shapes, and sizes, and they are seasonally appropriate for several months (meaning less work in changing out decor). Because of that, pumpkin crafts are always popular, and I’ve rounded up twenty unique pumpkin crafts that you’ll want to make this season.

Now trust me, these pumpkin crafts are not your typical “decorate a fake pumpkin” crafts! (Not that there’s anything wrong with those!) These are all unique pumpkin projects that feature pumpkins made out of anything BUT pumpkins (real or fake)!

To get full project instructions for any of these, just click the project title and you’ll go right to the site where the pumpkin craft tutorial lives.

Pool Noodle Pumpkins by Average But Inspired

Let’s kick things off with one of my unique pumpkin crafts! Can you believe you can transform foam pool noodles into adorable pumpkins? It’s true! This is one of the easiest crafts around, and it makes some of the cutest pumpkins in the patch.

Tin Can Pumpkins by Ann’s Entitled Life

Does it get much easier (or cuter) than this? Who doesn’t have tin cans easily accessible at all times? Find out how Ann made hers into adorable pumpkins!

Fabric Pumpkin Plaque by Our Home Made Easy

This simple fabric pumpkin project will add punch to any shelf or bookcase that needs some fall sprucing. It is also a great way to use up fabric scraps!

Book Page Pumpkin by Creations by Kara

Grab an old book and some scissors and get to work! Kara shows you how to craft a book page pumpkin in this easy-to-follow tutorial!

DIY Wine Cork Pumpkin by Decor by the Seashore

Save up your wine corks or buy a bag at the craft store, and then get to work making this cute DIY wine cork pumpkin! How sweet of a gift would this be for your girlfriends or book club members (come on, every book club involves wine!)? Get the step-by-step instructions right in the post.

15 Minute Sock Pumpkins by Heathered Nest

How great would these sock pumpkin crafts be for a school Halloween party? Quick, easy, and cute – they’re bound to be a hit with any grade!

Pallet Pumpkins by Sugar Bee Crafts

I just love these pallet pumpkins for your outdoor fall decor! These are definitely unique – don’t you think they’d look cute in a pretty fall floral display?

Mason Jar Pumpkin Craft by A Cultivated Nest

Grab that mason jar stash (or pick up some cheap mason jars at Dollar Tree), and make these adorable mason jar pumpkins! How cute would these be filled with candy and presented to a neighbor, teacher, or co-worker this fall?

Trim Corner Block Pumpkins by Average But Inspired

Hey, hey – it’s one of my pumpkin craft projects in here! I had so much fun making these trim corner block pumpkins, and they’re still one of my favorite fall decor pieces today! You can find these trim corner blocks at any large home improvement store, and then check out my tutorial to learn how to make these sweet pumpkins!

Fabric Pumpkins from Old Shirts by Our Crafty Mom

Before you toss those old clothes in the donate pile, think about if you can reuse them to make adorable fabric pumpkins! This great upcycle from Michelle at Our Crafty Mom can be put together in no time, and for hardly any expense at all!

Dryer Vent Pumpkins by Practically Functional

How creative is this pumpkin craft??? While you’re at Lowe’s or Home Depot getting trim corner blocks to make the pumpkins pictured above, pick up some dryer vents, too! Then make Jessi’s cute dryer vent pumpkins and let everyone marvel at this creative pumpkin craft!

Loom Knit Pumpkin by Rootsy

I don’t know the first thing about knitting, but I’m willing to bet that some of you do! Because of that, I thought this knitted pumpkin craft was a great one to share! Plus, the tutorial is very detailed and good for beginners.

Button Pumpkin Craft by Adventure in a Box

Sweet and simple is the name of the game for this adorable button pumpkin craft!

Felted Dryer Ball Pumpkins by Hearth & Vine

Oh my word – these little dryer ball pumpkins are too cute for words! Patti shows you how to make them (even if you’ve never needle felted before), and the result is darling!

Bandana Pumpkins by Sadie Seasongoods

These sweet bandana pumpkins add a dash of vintage charm to your fall decor! Check out Sadie Seasongoods’ detailed tutorial on how to make these cute pumpkins.

Bundt Cake Pan Pumpkins by Average But Inspired

Oh yeah, I’ve got another one of my pumpkin crafts in here! These little bundt cake pan pumpkins are the cutest! I love to display them in my kitchen every fall. See how to make them in my post!

Paper Pumpkin Craft by Ann’s Entitled Life

Don’t you love checking out the scrapbook paper aisle to see what fun prints are in stock? (I can’t be the only one!) Get some pretty paper and make yourself a whole patch of these paper pumpkins!

Ruffled Felt Pumpkin by Where The Smiles Have Been

Felt is one of my favorite craft supplies to work with because it lends such a homemade feel to any craft. This ruffled candy corn felt pumpkin is no exception! This just screams fall cuteness!

Scrap Wood Pumpkin by Making it in the mountains

Gather that scrap wood hiding out in your garage or basement and get to work crafting a farmhouse-inspired scrap wood pumpkin! Leave it neutral, stain it, or paint it – this pumpkin can be customized however you like!

Paper Bag Pumpkins by This Ole Mom

This is another great pumpkin craft that would work well for a halloween party craft! It’s easy and inexpensive and such a fun project!

Natural Birch Bark Pumpkin Art by Little House of Four

For all of my neutral-loving friends out there, this pumpkin project is the one for you! Katie shows you how to create a piece of beautiful and natural pumpkin decor with birch bark.

So there you have it – 20 fabulously unique pumpkin crafts you can make this fall! Which one is your favorite? Let me know which of these you’ll be making in the comments below! And, don’t forget to pin this image to Pinterest!

August 29, 2019 by Bre

Make a Dollar Store Toolbox Planter

The kids are back in school and the temps are cooling off: my mind is definitely shifting gears toward fall! Because of that, last week I shared a cute DIY Dollar Tree Pumpkin Sign project that will cozy up your home decor, and this week I’m sharing another fun fall project! This dollar store toolbox planter is perfect for your your porch or an entryway table!

Isn’t it pretty?!? And friends, it is SO darn cheap to put together. EVERYTHING except the spray paint is from Dollar Tree!

Okay well enough oooooh’ing and aaaaah’ing over this dollar store fall decor – let’s get down to business!

Supplies Needed to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

Like I said, pretty much everything for this project is from Dollar Tree! If it’s not from the D.T., I will let you know next to the supply name. Also, some of the links may be affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Toolbox
Floral foam brick
Faux flowers of your choice (I used a bunch of sunflowers leftover from my Dollar Tree Sunflower Wreath, mums, and a beige flower of some sort)
Faux pumpkin clips (they come in a three pack)
Plaid wired ribbon
Harvest metal word (they come in a three pack of Harvest, Thankful, and Welcome)
Spray paint (I used this brand and color of spray paint) (not Dollar Tree)
Black acrylic paint to add some faux age to the toolbox (not Dollar Tree)
Gold acrylic paint for the metal word (not Dollar Tree)
E6000 glue (not Dollar Tree)

How to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

Start by spray painting the toolbox in whatever color you like. I really liked this matte burgundy/purple color because it was bold and moody – perfect for fall!

Once the spray paint dried, I lightly added a bit of black paint all over the toolbox to make it look older and less “flat” – if that makes any sense.

Next, I popped a block of floral foam inside the toolbox. The rectangular floral foam from Dollar Tree is the perfect fit for the toolbox.

Next, I got to work cutting faux florals and placing them into the floral foam.

I had a stem of faux leaves set aside to use, but decided that the colors didn’t look right with the flowers I was using, so I ultimately ditched them.

Once I had the flowers in place, I worked in some of the Dollar Tree wired ribbon, and then added several of the faux pumpkin clips. Those clips are great because they just attached right to the flowers, exactly where I wanted them!

Finally, and not pictured here because I forgot to photograph this step, I dabbed a little gold acrylic paint on the metal word “Harvest” and let it dry. Then I glued it to the inside of the toolbox for a little extra flair.

It all came together super cute and much prettier than the toolbox in its original form. 🙂

I can’t stop making Dollar Tree crafts – I hope you’re not sick of them!

This entire toolbox planter cost $7 in Dollar Tree Supplies and $4 in paint. I had the rest of the supplies already, so there was no cost there. That is not bad at all!

So what do you think – will you be transforming a toolbox into a pretty planter for your home? Let me know!

-Bre

August 20, 2019 by Bre

The Perfect Pumpkin Sign (A Fall Dollar Tree DIY!)

Dollar Tree has always been my favorite, but this season they have seriously stepped up their crafting and DIY game! If you haven’t stocked up on fall and Halloween crafting supplies yet, you need to get over there pronto. (And if you haven’t read my post on The Best Craft Supplies to Buy at Dollar Tree – do it!) I picked up a few of their new fall items and make the perfect pumpkin sign for my fall decor – and it only took about 20 minutes!

This cute pumpkin sign will stay out all fall – even through Halloween – because of the color scheme I used. The great thing is that it can be customized however you want, so make this in any color to suit your taste or decor!

Supplies Used for This Dollar Tree Pumpkin Decor

Here’s what I used to make this fall sign:

Dollar Tree canvas artwork (any pattern or design will work!)
Dollar Tree “create your own ornament” wood pumpkin shapes
Dollar Tree DIY pumpkin craft stickers
Dollar Tree Jenga game (those are the wood blocks shown in the project)
Scrapbook paper
Scissors
Spray Adhesive
Acrylic craft paint in orange, white, and black
Paintbrush
Hot glue and hot glue gun
Letter stamps
Black stamp pad

How to Make a Fall Pumpkin Sign

First I painted the edges of the Dollar Tree canvas artwork black. I used two coats of paint for this step. Remember, you can use any color paint you like!

Once the paint dried, I traced the shape of the canvas onto the back of a piece of scrapbook paper. I cut that out and then sprayed the canvas and the back of the paper with spray adhesive. I quickly pressed the scrapbook paper into place on the front of the canvas and trimmed any parts that stuck up over the edges of the canvas.

Then I got to work painting the pumpkins! I mixed up a few shades of orange by simply mixing basic orange and white acrylic paint. I painted one of the Dollar Tree pumpkin ornaments and two of the DIY craft stickers.

After those pumpkins dried, I used one of the pieces of twine from the ornaments package and tied it around each of the pumpkins’ stems. Then I used the hot glue gun to fasten them to the canvas. I even hot glued the stickers because the adhesive wasn’t super strong and I didn’t want those pumpkins going anywhere!

Next, I stamped the word “pumpkin” onto two of the Dollar Tree Jenga game blocks. They’re the perfect little wood blocks for all kinds of projects! If you don’t have letter stamps and/or a stamp pad, you could use the tiny letter stickers at Dollar Tree for this step!

Finally, I hot glued the “pumpkins” piece into place and added a little black paint around the edges of both the word piece and the entire sign. This gave a distressed look that I like!

And that’s all it took to transform a canvas into an adorable piece of fall decor!

I’d love for you to share this pumpkin sign project with your friends, or pin it to Pinterest to help others find it!

And, if you love fall crafting, check out some of my other great fall craft ideas in my holidays gallery!

-Bre

Halloween Skull Decoration: Make a Mini Halloween Cloche!

Supplies Needed to Make a Mini Skull Halloween Cloche

How to Make a Mini Skull Cloche For Halloween Decor

How to Press Flowers in a Book

How to Press Flowers in a Book

How to Make Pressed Flower Art

How to Make 3D Dried Flower Art

20 Unique Pumpkin Crafts

Make a Dollar Store Toolbox Planter

Supplies Needed to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

How to Make a Dollar Tree Toolbox Planter

The Perfect Pumpkin Sign (A Fall Dollar Tree DIY!)

Supplies Used for This Dollar Tree Pumpkin Decor

How to Make a Fall Pumpkin Sign

Stenciled Chair Seats – A Thrifty and Fun Kitchen Chair Makeover

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Denim Faux Finish Furniture Painting Technique {A Lingerie Chest of Drawers Makeover}

Chalk Painted Drop Leaf Table Makeover