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The Crafty Chica DIY Project Library: a collection of fabulous handmade ideas by Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica! Thursday, April 29, 2004Beaded Fringe Jeans Hand stitch beaded fringe to the top of your jeans! *** CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: beads, wearable, wearable art Margarita Glass Candles These look good enough to drink! This lovely project is from my book: The Crafty Chica Collection! Supplies: Mexican margarita glasses Creme-based candle wax A wick Candle scent Candle coloring Double boiler White craft glue and glitter Melt, color and scent the wax using a double boiler according to the package directions. USE CAUTION, it's hot! Insert the wick in the glass, and then carefully pour in the wax. Let cool. Run a bit of paint around the rim, let dry, and then a coat of white craft glue. *** CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com! Other links: STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR * All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com Labels: candle, Cinco DeMayo, Latin-inspired, lights, multi-culti Monday, April 05, 2004Word Power Pins Supplies: Wood shapes Poetry Dog Tag Jump ring Pin back Acrylic paints E6000 glue Directions: Paint the shapes, drill a hole at the bottom, add jump ring, attach dog tag. Glue pin back. * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Labels: jewelry, wearable art Pressed Flower Light Switch Cover
Are you a professional "wing it" crafter? Making it up as you go works great for most creations, but there are certain areas in which spontaneity just doesn't cut it. Working with pressed flowers is one. Each step of the process is crucial to the outcome. The new book The Art of Pressed Flowers (Running Press, $30) is a complete package to picking, pressing, preserving and presenting all sorts of leaves and petals. The 64-page how-to book contains helpful color photos, guidelines and project ideas, and comes with a wood press and a package of blotting paper. All you need are flowers. Initially intimidated by the delicate procedures, I began with a simple light-switch cover. It didn't take long to catch on -- I'm now working on floral glass coasters and jewelry boxes. Pressed-Flower Light-Switch Plates SUPPLIES: * 1 sheet of white typing paper * 3 to 4 small, colorful flowers with leaves * Tweezers * 2 flat objects to act as the press * 1 standard light-switch plate * Spray paint in desired color * White glue * Brush * Polyurethane varnish DIRECTIONS: Follow the guidelines in the book for pressing the flowers. Otherwise, here are general directions: Fold the paper in half, then open it. Insert the flowers and leaves on one side. If making a design from the petals alone, use tweezers to separate them from the pistil and line them neatly and evenly. Close the paper. Place it between the press and tighten it daily for several weeks, or until the flowers are dried. If not using a press, place the folded paper with the flowers inside a thick book or between heavy flat objects. In a well-ventilated area, spray the light-switch plate with paint and let dry. Once your flowers have dried, remove them from the paper with the tweezers and apply them to the light-switch cover with white glue and a brush. Let dry, then coat the cover with polyurethane varnish and let dry. * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * Crazy Coil Art WareJust because you are not taking on a major remodeling project, you don't have to stay away from home-improvement stores. Take a spin through the wiring aisle, where a world of design opportunities is waiting for you. One of the easiest, although addicting, is this coiling project. With copper and solder wire, you can curl your way to fabulous custom art and jewelry within a day. The concept of wire-coil art is nothing new. Visit any arts-and-crafts fair to find several vendors making and selling everything from ornate triple-looped hanging candleholders to primitive- looking garden ornaments. After twisting your way through these directions, you'll be able to create your own version of these, as well as a bracelet. SUPPLIES: * Copper or solder wire * Needle-nose pliers * Marbles * Glass pebbles * E6000 industrial-strength craft glue * Gold or silver jump rings * 36-gauge wire and jewelry clasp (for bracelet) * Fishing line (for ornaments) DIRECTIONS: Cut the copper or solder wire into batches of even lengths, such as 12-, 6- and 3-inch strips. Begin with one strand and bend the top edge over into a tiny loop with the needle-nose pliers. Hold the loop firmly with the pliers and use your other hand to slowly "spin" the wire into a spiral design. To make a double spiral piece, repeat the loop process at the opposite end in the other direction. Add a color and dimension by wrapping the wire around a marble, leaving a loop at the top for connecting, or glue a glass pebble in the middle of a spiral. Once you have multiple pieces, lay them on a flat surface and rearrange them to find designs you like. Connect the pieces with the jump rings and needle-nose pliers. To make pieces hold firm, use the 36-gauge wire to connect them securely. If making a hanging ornament, tie a piece of fishing line at the top. For a bracelet, attach clasp with 36-gauge wire. TIP: Solder wire is much softer and more pliable than the copper wire, but the latter is much stronger and longer lasting. VARIATION: Use the 36-gauge wire to thread beads in and about the coils for a more elegant effect. You also can use this wire to liven up dozens of ordinary objects. Glue or wrap pieces on picture frames, * For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * About Me
I'm a mommy, wifey, artist, author & left-handed middle-child binge crafter Sagittarian. I love chocolate, coffee, and I collect Chihuahua stuff. I have a new product line! I write a syndicated craft column. Two new books: CRAFTY CHICA'S GUIDE TO ARTFUL SEWING (Feb. 09) & WAKING UP IN THE LAND OF GLITTER (novel, 2010). I make a line of Chicano Pop Art with my hubby and we have sold it all over the country since 1990. Doing my best to live in the moment and savor it all!  
Note to visitors: Hola! This site is the archive of all my past projects for Gannett News Service and The Arizona Republic. These ideas are for personal use only. I make a living as a craft designer, so I will be using these ideas in my published works. If you are thinking of selling or using these ideas for profit, please give respect and "twist" them to make them your own - put your own stamp on them to make them different. It will work out for the best for both of us! Thank you and much respect from one creative person to another! — Kathy Have a burning crafty question? Visit my Ask Crafty Chica blog or drop me a line! Project Categories
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